As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Breastfeeding Day, nursing mothers in Ondo State just as others across states of the federation joined the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Remi Tinubu as she flagged off 2024 World Breastfeeding Week.
At the grand event held at the International Conference Centre, The Dome in Akure, Nigeria’s First Lady, ably represented by the First Lady of Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa restated the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
According to the State Commissioner for Women Affairs & Social Development, Deaconess Lola Fagbemi who represented Ondo First Lady at the event, women are specially endowed by God to carry out this function and as such, work places are being made conducive for women to freely breastfeed their babies.
While declaring Breastfeeding Week open in the state, Mrs. Fagbemi particularly acknowledged that Ondo State government has been giving priority to nursing mothers during their maternity leave and that men are even excused for a period of one month to tend to their breastfeeding wives.
Speaking on the theme of the celebration, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka, State Commissioner for Health also stressed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.
He further highlighted that a reward system has been put in place to encourage mothers who do exclusive breastfeeding and as well visit health centers for immunization of their wards
Dr. Francis Adegoke Akanbiemu from Ondo State Primary Healthcare Board in his own remarks affirmed that breastfeeding is one of the critical child survival strategies.
He thus enjoined mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding so as to have healthy children.
In separate remarks, WHO representative, Dr. Adebayo Ibrahim on behalf of Dr. Dele Davis,State Representative of WHO, the National President of Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Wasiu Afolabi, Dr. Simi Dele Odimayo Special Adviser to Mr. Governor on Health, Dr. Toyin Adeyalo- Ogundare on behalf of Rotary International Club as well as representative of UNICEF all highlighted the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding just as they enjoined nursing mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
One major highlight of this year’s event is the distribution of support kits for all nursing mothers in attendance.