Yobe government has approved N400 million counterpart funding to boost child nutrition and pledged to extend maternity leave for female civil servants from three to six months.

Kachalla Maina, chairman, House committee on health, confirmed the development during an advocacy visit by the Yobe chapter of Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) to the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

He said N300 million had already been released to the State Primary Health Care Management Board, while the balance of N100 million would come through the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs.

Speaker of the House, Ciroma Mashio, assured that directives would be issued to ensure the prompt release of the balance to UNICEF as the state counterpart funding.

Mr Mashio also assured that directives would be given to the head of service to implement a new policy extending maternity leave for women in the state’s public service to six months.

In a related development, the permanent secretary, Civil Service, Idi Kilos, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to provide feedback after consultations with the office of the head of service.

Similarly, at the ministry of budget and economic planning, the permanent secretary, Hamid Babi, pledged continued collaboration with CS-SUNN to strengthen state nutrition policies.

Tanimu Salifu, state coordinator of CS-SUNN, who led the advocacy team, expressed gratitude to the Yobe government for its commitment and support at all times.

(NAN)