Lawmakers push six-month paid maternity leave, increased nutrition funding

By Chioma Obinna

Lawmakers from 10 states have resolved to accelerate the passage of six-month paid maternity leave laws, increase domestic funding for nutrition programmes and push for the speedy passage of the National Nutrition Bill as part of coordinated efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening malnutrition crisis.
The resolutions were reached at the end of a two-day Strategic Policy Discourse on Improved Nutrition held in Lagos, where legislators, senior government officials, development partners, nutrition experts and civil society organisations warned that malnutrition continues to undermine Nigeria’s human capital development despite years of interventions.

Participants at the meeting organised by the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), described stronger legislative action, increased financing and improved accountability as critical to reversing poor maternal and child nutrition indicators across the country.

Among the major resolutions adopted was a commitment by participating states to champion six-month paid maternity leave legislation, establish dedicated nutrition departments within Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), strengthen nutrition financing in the 2027 budgets and expand investments in constituency projects targeting nutrition.

The lawmakers also pledged to intensify efforts to secure passage of the National Nutrition Bill and institutionalise Legislative Nutrition Champions to ensure nutrition remains a priority on legislative agendas.

The communiqué stated: “Participants acknowledged that although progress has been made in strengthening nutrition governance, malnutrition remains a significant barrier to Nigeria’s human capital development. They reaffirmed that sustained legislative commitment is critical to improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition outcomes through stronger policies, adequate financing and effective oversight.”

The meeting further resolved that states should provide counterpart funding to access the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), sustain investments in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) and other priority nutrition commodities, while strengthening monitoring of nutrition budgets and implementation.

Participants also endorsed the establishment of dedicated Nutrition Departments or Units across relevant MDAs, stronger State and Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, workplace breastfeeding support and family-friendly workplace policies.

To improve accountability, they agreed to hold periodic legislative review sessions to assess progress on state commitments and strengthen legislative oversight of nutrition programmes.

Also, several states announced ambitious commitments. Bayelsa pledged to commit ₦140 million to the Child Nutrition Fund, establish nutrition departments across relevant MDAs, implement six-month paid maternity leave and introduce three-week paternity leave.

Jigawa announced plans to sustain ₦500 million annual contributions to the Child Nutrition Fund, commit ₦300 million through legislative interventions for nutrition and allocate ₦270 million for Multiple Micronutrient Supplements for pregnant women.

Cross River resolved to secure legislative backing for a 0.5 per cent statutory deduction from local government allocations for nutrition and release its approved ₦100 million nutrition budget.
Kebbi pledged to release its approved ₦500 million contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund, while Adamawa, Gombe and Enugu committed to passing six-month paid maternity leave legislation.

The Federal Capital Territory also pledged to improve nutrition financing, establish nutrition departments across relevant agencies, scale up nutrition services and strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers.
Participants proposed that the second National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security be hosted by Cross River State as part of efforts to sustain momentum on legislative action.

They agreed that stronger collaboration among governments, legislators, development partners, civil society, the media and the private sector would be essential to translating the resolutions into measurable improvements in maternal, infant and child nutrition across Nigeria.