The Kwara State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) has embarked on advocacy visits to actualise the implementation of six months maternity leave for civil servants.
ROYAL NEWS gathered that the move was part of measures to further ensure exclusive breastfeeding in the state.
The Acting Chairman of the SCFN, Alhaji Kayode Alimi, stated this today while meeting with the Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad at the Office of the Head of Service, Governor’s Office and the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Afolashade Oluwakemi at the Ministry’s headquarters, both in Ilorin, the State capital.
Alhaji Alimi stressed that the implementation of six months maternity leave has been approved at the Federal level, thus, there is the need to fast track the due process required for implementation after the pronouncement by the State government on 29th May, 2023, adding that this will be beneficial to mothers and their babies as well as enhance productivity in the civil service.
“Though the State government has registered its commitment to implement the policy but this Committee see the necessity to pay advocacy to all the Stakeholders for prompt implementation of such policy”, he said.
Also Speaking, the Project Manager, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, Dr. Habeeb Lawal, noted that issues of malnutrition should be of utmost concern in the country, as a child with malnutrition will not add any value to the economy of the country, while revealing that fourteen states have already implemented six months maternity leave in the country.
“Children that are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow should be centered and priority to nurture them with good food is necessary”, he added.
Dr. Lawal urged the State government to commence the implementation of six months maternity leave for breastfeeding mothers in the civil service and advocated for the establishment of Nutrition Departments across the Line Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Responding, the Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, commended the SCFN members for their unrelented efforts to promote child nutrition in order to eradicate sturting in children, disclosing that the State government is working assiduously on the implementation of the policy to assist breastfeeding mothers in the state civil service.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Women Affair, Hon. Afolashade Oluwakemi, appreciated the Committee for its efforts at ensuring that the policy is implemented to nurture the nutritional needs of children in the State, stressing the need to encourage nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies appropriately.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply, Hajia Adenike Akanni, said the Ministry will also follow up and ensure prompt implementation of the policy.
