The Civil Society–Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has called on the Adamawa State Government to approve a six-month paid maternity leave for mothers and commit N9 billion as counterpart funding to address child malnutrition in the state.
The appeal was made on Monday by the Chairman of the CS-SUNN Steering Committee in Adamawa, Sodangi Adams Chindo, in a press statement titled “Investing in Nutrition Now.”
Chindo disclosed that more than 7,000 children in Adamawa require urgent nutrition intervention, warning that malnutrition remains a major threat to child survival and development in the state.
He explained that the state could leverage counterpart funding opportunities to access double the value of its investment, thereby reducing the financial burden from N18 billion to N9 billion.
“The government should maximise the counterpart funding opportunities of getting double the value of investments made on child nutrition. In this regard, Adamawa State Government will need to invest only N9 billion to address child malnutrition,” Chindo said.
He noted that global evidence indicates that timely investment in maternal and child nutrition—particularly within the first 1,000 days of life—produces lasting benefits in health, cognitive development and economic productivity.
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Chindo further revealed that CS-SUNN, with support from UNICEF, is implementing a project to scale up quality nutrition services in Adamawa.
According to him, the initiative is designed to support the implementation of the Adamawa State Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (ASMPFAN).
He called for the full operationalisation of ASMPFAN, strengthened monitoring frameworks and improved coordination across all levels of governance to ensure effective service delivery.
The CS-SUNN chairman also urged the state government to extend paid maternity leave from three months to six months to promote exclusive breastfeeding and improve child survival rates. He noted that four northeastern states—Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe—have already adopted the six-month maternity leave policy.
Also speaking, the Adamawa State Coordinator of CS-SUNN, Ibrahim Bellow, said extending maternity leave would enable mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies and return to work healthier and more productive.
He appealed to relevant authorities to increase budgetary allocation for child nutrition and ensure adequate provision for the Child Nutrition Fund counterpart financing in the 2026 state budget.
Chindo further called on the media to prioritise evidence-based reporting on nutrition and hold public officials accountable for budgetary commitments and outcomes.
He also encouraged the private sector to invest in food fortification, production of affordable nutritious foods and adoption of breastfeeding-friendly workplace policies.
While commending the government, development partners, media organisations and civil society groups for their continued support, Chindo emphasised that sustained investment in nutrition would save lives and secure the economic future of Adamawa State.
