UYO
The National Legislative Network of the Nutrition and Food Security Committee has paid an advocacy visit to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to interact with the newly created committee in the State Assembly on avenues to address the plague of undernutrition and food insecurity.
The all-engaging meeting took place at the VIP Conference Hall of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo.
During his opening remark, the chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security and member for Ibiono Ibom State constituency, Mr. Moses Essien, said the meeting was aimed at deepening the collaborations among MDAs involved with nutrition and food security to ensure that the essence of constituting the committee is fully achieved.
He added that the interaction with the national delegates of the committee would help to form a formidable team to fight against malnutrition and food insecurity in the state, when provision is adequately made to reflect in 2025 budget.
While promising to sustain the relationship between National and State of the Committees for continued support and enlightenment, he assured to enact a law that permits six months leave for nursing mothers in order to encourage exclusive breastfeeding.
On his part, the majority leader of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who also chairs the Forum of Chairpersons of Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria, Mr. Tolulope Ige, an engineer, in his keynote address noted that the national initiative is to add to existing programmes at the grassroots to ensure that the expectations on nutrition and food security are actualized.
“The fight against malnutrition and food insecurity is a shared responsibility. It requires political will, commitment from the executive and legislative arms and active participation from all sectors of the society”. he added.
Also speaking, the national legislative adviser, National Legislative Network, Dr. John Onyeokoro, presented a paper on the topic “Overview of Nutrition Landscape in Nigeria and Assessment of Measures to Address Malnutrition in Nigeria from Nutrition International’s Perspective”.
He suggested ways to proffer solutions to undernutrition to include engagement of domestication of relevant legislations, provision of appropriate oversight to MDAs in the state, enactment of relevant laws to abolish child marriages and encourage girl-child education, among others.
Dr. Idongesit Umoh, the state nutrition officer, who represented the Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, briefed the Committee on Akwa Ibom State’s nutritional status of children.
She also used the medium to appeal to the legislators to enact a law that allows for the extension of the leave duration for nursing mothers from three months to six months in order to create more room for exclusive breastfeeding, adding that there should be a proper legislation to aid the state’s nutritional status of children.
The member for Ini State Constituency, Mr. Lawrence Udoide, commended state government’s effort in urging indigenes of the state to engage in farming through the declaration of two days in every month as work-free in order to encourage food sufficiency in the state. He also stated that part of why people suffer undernutrition is linked to unnecessary procreation.
Also in attendance were: Acting director general, Forum of Chairpersons of Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria, Mrs. Arinola Adeniyi, as well as representatives of the relevant ministries, departments and agencies whose functions concern the committee.
Other lawmakers in attendance were: Mr Otobong Bob (Nsit Ubium), Mr. Bassey Pius Bassey (Okobo) and Mr. Eric Effiong Akpan (Nsit Ibom), among others.
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