child |
Over six million
children in Nigeria under the age of five are stunted due to
malnutrition, the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, has said.
According to the
global agency, about 60 per cent of the 22.2 million children in that
age bracket in the country face risk of poor development due to lack of
early childhood development support.
The UNICEF Country
Representative, Mallick Fall, said this on Tuesday at the 2017 National
Early Childhood Development (ECD) Conference.
The conference,
with the theme: "For Every Nigerian Child, Early Years Matter", was
organised by UNICEF, World Bank and Global Partnership For Education.
"Nigeria is putting
its children at risk of under-development, both physically and
mentally, because critical national policies are not providing an
adequate foundation for their growth," Mr. Fall said.
"A 2016 National
Survey indicated that 31 per cent (about six million), of children under
the age of five years are moderately or severely underweight in
Nigeria. Stunting as a result of malnutrition can cause irreversible
physical and mental retardation.
"Even though
exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life has
clearly been shown to improve physical and mental development, the same
survey revealed that only 24 per cent of Nigerian children are
exclusively breastfed for six months."
Mr. Fall warned of the implications of the development for Nigeria.
"With 90 per cent
of a child's brain development occurring before the age of five years,
early childhood experiences can have a profound impact on a child's
development and can ultimately impact a country's growth".
"During the first
years of a child's life, the brain grows rapidly. Providing good
nutrition, loving care and appropriate play provide solid foundations
for a child's learning - and eventual contribution to economic and
social growth."
To achieve this,
Mr. Fall recommended two years of free pre-primary education, six months
of paid maternity leave and four weeks paternity leave for parents in
Nigeria.
In a presentation
on Early Childhood Education in the Sustainable Development Goals,
Rebello Britto from UNICEF said 60 per cent (13.3 million) of Nigerian
children are not achieving their full human potentials.
She identified nutrition, protection and stimulation as the basic needs of any child.
"Sixty per cent of
Nigerian children are not achieving their satisfaction. Nigeria is
losing 60 per cent of its human capital right from the start," she
noted.
"It takes political
commitment and investment to achieve the three basic needs of children
between the ages of zero and five years."
World Bank
representative, Rachid Benmousada, said the Bank was committed to
supporting the Nigerian government in ensuring that each child reaches
its full potential.
The Minister of
Education, Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary
of the ministry, Sunny Echono, said five per cent of the 2017 Universal
Basic Education Fund was committed to the development of Early Childhood
Education.
He said the federal
government had given approval to the Universal Basic Education
Commission to conduct an audit of UBE schools, both public and private
schools.
Mr. Adamu said the huge number of out of school children in Nigeria remains a challenge that must be addressed.
"This conference will create new path for the development of Early Childhood Development Education," he said.
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