The Civil Society—Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has called for urgent and sustained investment in nutrition to save the lives of Benue children.
The appeal was made by the Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, Mr Sunday Okoronkwo, during a press briefing and media roundtable held on Friday in Makurdi.
He described malnutrition as a critical public health and development challenge in Benue, a state widely known as the “Food Basket of the Nation.”
“In spite of its vast agricultural potential, the state continues to record troubling indicators of child malnutrition and widespread household food insecurity.
“Recent data presented at the forum showed that 25.3 per cent of children in the state are stunted, 6.7 per cent suffer from wasting, and 13.6 per cent are underweight,” he said.
According to him, these conditions threaten child survival, weaken learning outcomes, and reduce future workforce productivity.
Okoronkwo stressed that investing in nutrition is not merely a social intervention but a strategic economic decision.
He noted that global and national evidence consistently demonstrates that malnutrition erodes human capital and suppresses lifetime earnings.
Okoronkwo said emphasis should be placed on the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to a child’s second birthday—as a critical window for intervention.
He said investments in maternal, infant, and young child nutrition during this period yield high returns in improved health, cognitive development, and long-term productivity.
The CS-SUNN boss disclosed that, with support from UNICEF, the organization is implementing the project titled “Increased Investment in Nutrition to Scale Up Quality Nutrition Services” in Benue.
He said the initiative aims to strengthen financing and scale up quality nutrition services across the state.
Okoronkwo said among its advocacy priorities, CS-SUNN is pushing for sustainable domestic financing for nutrition, including leveraging innovative mechanisms such as the Child Nutrition Fund.
He also called for timely release and efficient use of budgeted nutrition funds, as well as increased nutrition allocations across key sectors, including health, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, and social protection.
Okoronkwo advocated for extending paid maternity leave from three to six months in the public sector to promote exclusive breastfeeding and improve child survival.
