The Bayelsa State Government, in partnership with UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has inauguarated a N280 million, one-year initiative to prevent malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, targeting pregnant women and children under two years across the state.
Speaking at the inauguration in Yenagoa on Tuesday, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Lagos, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, said the project is designed to give every child in Bayelsa a better chance not only to survive but also to grow, learn and reach full potential.
“That is what the first 1,000 days of life protect. From the moment a woman becomes pregnant to her child’s second birthday, a body and a brain are being built. What happens in that window cannot be undone later.
“The most recent National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2024) found that more than one in four children in Nigeria are stunted, while nearly half of pregnant women are anaemic,” she said.
Lafoucriere explained that stunting occurs when children do not receive adequate nutrition early in life, affecting both physical growth and cognitive development.
She said the condition often results in poor educational outcomes and reduced economic opportunities later in life.
“That is exactly what this project, and the funding behind it, is built to change. These are children who will struggle more in school and may struggle later to earn a living, through no fault of their own. That is why today matters,” she said.
The UNICEF official said that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was funding the project for one year, while the Bayelsa Government contributed N140 million and UNICEF provided a matching N140 million.
She described the partnership as a demonstration of commitment by government and development partners to improving child nutrition and maternal health outcomes.
“UNICEF is proud to stand with Bayelsa in this work. When government takes the lead and partners follow through with real support, nutrition supplies reach children before problems take root.
“A child gets weighed and measured regularly. A mother is shown exactly how to feed her baby by healthcare workers. Children who would normally slip through unnoticed get counted, get fed and get followed up,” she said.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, represented by Dr. Williams Appah, Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Primary Health Care Board, commended UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for supporting the initiative.
Appah said the grant would cover four local government areas of the state and appealed to stakeholders to ensure that the intervention reached the intended beneficiaries.
He said that the Bayelsa Government had also contributed resources to support efforts aimed at eliminating child stunting and malnutrition in the state.
According to him, health officials had previously supported children affected by stunted growth, but the new funding and community sensitisation would strengthen efforts to tackle malnutrition.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area, Mr. Golden Jeremiah, commended UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for supporting the nutrition intervention programme for children. (NAN)
