The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has lamente that Nigeria
is putting her children at risk of under-development, both physically and
mentally, because critical national policies are not providing an adequate
foundation for their growth, reports NaijaAgroNet.
During the first years of a child’s life, UNICEF said in its
latest report that 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.
The UNICEF report, Early
Moments Matter for Every Child, outlines three policies
that can give parents the time and resources needed to support their young
children’s healthy development.
The recommended policies are: two years of free pre-primary
education; six months of paid maternity leave; and four weeks of paid paternity
leave. Nigeria currently has just three months of
paid maternity leave, only one year of free pre-primary education and no
paternity leave at all. Only about one in every 10 pre-primary children are
enrolled in early education activities.
According to the medical journal, The Lancet, Nigeria ranks among
the 10 countries with the largest number of children at risk of poor
development.
A 2016 national survey indicated that 31% of children under
the age of five 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% of Nigerian children are exclusively
breastfed for six months. Paid maternity leave will help to increase the number
of children exclusively breastfed.
“What we call Early Childhood Development, which includes physical
and cognitive support, has a strategic place in the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals,” said Mohamed Fall UNICEF Representative in
Nigeria. “Investing in Early Childhood Development including services to
support caregivers, quality pre-primary education and good nutrition will help
to secure healthy and productive future generations in Nigeria,” he added.
As well as supporting exclusive breastfeeding, having good Early
Childhood Development policies in place will help to improve the overall health
and nutrition of a child, enable parents and caregivers to be more responsive
to children’s needs and provide greater safety and security. It will also
provide improved early learning.
With 90 per cent of a child’s brain development occurring before
the age of five, early childhood experiences can have a profound impact on a
child’s development can ultimately impact a country’s growth.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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