By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS SUNN, has stated that the empowerment of women and girls would tackle issues of stunting of the over 2.5 million children in Nigeria, end malnutrition and secure a better generation of healthy children.
The CS SUNN Executive Secretary, Sunday Okoronkwo said this on Thursday during a Media Roundtable on Promoting Women and Girls Empowerment for Optimal Nutrition in Nigeria held at Abuja.
Okoronkwo who was represented by Dr. Goodness Anyanwu , CS SUNN, Project Manager said that empowered women and girls in areas of decision making, education, business, and leadership can take charge of their nutrition of their families and contribute to the wellbeing of the nation.
Anyanwu said, ” According to recent statistics from the World Health Organization, WHO, nearly 2.5 million children under the age of five in Nigeria are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, SAM”, adding that about 37% of Nigerian children under that age of five years are stunted due to chronic malnutrition.
According to Anyanwu, while speaking on the optimal malnutrition narrative in Nigeria is largely contributed by the low-income status of women in Nigeria.
She said that the Nigerian situation from the National Bureau of Statistics Poverty Inequality Report (2019) reveals that a paltry 25.37% of women are involved in low income generating activities while 74.73% of them were not.
This lack of adequate earning power reduces productivity for women , which in turn affects their nutritional status and that of their families.
She further noted that the roundtable engagement underscores CS SUNN ‘s commitment to contribute to addressing pressing challenges related to nutrition, health, and gender in the nation.
The CS SUNN also restated that empowering women and girls for Optimal Nutrition is the right part on Nigeria’s journey towards a more prosperous and healthier nation.
The Minister of Women Affairs , Mrs. UjunOhaneye , represented by Mrs. Christiana Oliko Deputy Director Child Development/ Nutrition Focal Officer decried the various socio- cultural practicing confronting women and girls, such early marriage , insurgency, displacement, and the consequences on them, including rape, especially during the COVID-19 period.
Oliko noted that the girl -child should be nurtured as mothers of tomorrow, adding that when a girl is empowered she will be more empowered and can compare anywhere.
She decried that women in the rural areas lack nutrition education , adding that even as farmers, they lack nutrition education on how to feed their children.
She also cited disclosed that since 79% of women account for poverty in Nigeria despite the land ownership denied women.
This is to facilitate nutrition diversity , she noted.
CS SUNN FCT Amb. Elizabeth Ogiri, Executive Chairperson, Women and Child Disaster Rescue Initiatives, Representative of CS-SUNN FCT Coordinator enjoined that education on nutrition campaign should start in primary and secondary schools, Universities up to the NYSC camps , given that Nigeria is the second most malnourished county globally.
Ogiri noted that adding nutrition in schools curriculum will help inculcate the importance of nutrition in them when they grew up into adulthood.
Communication Officer , Lilian Okafor, said that the media media roundtable on Promoting Women and girls empowerment Optimal nutrition is to show the media and policymakers that there is a problem with the economic empowerment of nutrition in Nigeria.
Okafor called on the media to collaborate with CS SUNN on prioritizing economic empowerment of women and girls in nutrition.
To get our policymakers to prioritize empowerment of women and nutrition, she emphasized.
