The Jigawa State first lady and wife of the state governor, Hajiya Hadiza Umar Namadi, has pleaded with the government and private organizations to approve an immediate implementation of proposed six months maternity leave to working mothers to strengthen the practice of exclusive breastfeeding.
The wife of the governor charged mothers to list and abide by cultural, spiritual and professional guidance in breastfeeding their children as generally agreed that there was no second alternative to it.
“As you are aware, for babies under six months to stay healthy, scientific evidence recommends giving them breast milk only and on demand (day and night). No water, other liquids or foods should be given from the moment of birth until they reach six months of life, even in hot and dry climates, as breast milk contains all the water and nutrients a baby needs to grow well”.
She stated further that “This year’s World Breastfeeding Week is “Enable Breastfeeding, making a Difference for Working Parents”. It calls for more awareness on breastfeeding support in workspaces. The known identified challenges that hinder breastfeeding of infants in the country among others include inadequate knowledge among mothers on the benefits of breast milk, early return to work after childbirth, lack of a conducive breastfeeding environment especially for working mothers.”
Hajiya Namadi promised a special project to increase the nursing mothers’ source of income in order to access nutritional value foods for adequate breast milk to their babies.
The wife of the governor made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after 2023 world breastfeeding day held at Manpower Development Institute, Dutse, state capital.
The first lady explained that “the project is aimed at empowering nursing mothers to increase their source of incomes for them to be getting nutritional value foods to be healthy and enough breast milk to be feeding their babies to exclusive breastfeeding”.
According to her, “the idea behind this programme is to alleviate poverty that coursing hunger and malnutrition among the family. As you know, adequate breast milk will happen if there is enough and nutritional value foods. So there needs to alleviate poverty among the mothers before succeeding in exclusive breastfeeding”.
Speaking at the occasion, the UNICEF Kano field nutrition officer, Alhadji Diop, said this annual event serves as a powerful platform to raise awareness and garner support for breastfeeding, with each year centered around a specific theme.Â
He said that this year’s theme is Enabling Breastfeeding – Making a Difference for Working Parents, “this year we’re focused on Breastfeeding and work. “Breastfeeding is not only a natural and beautiful act but also crucial for the health and well-being of children and mothers. As we gather to celebrate this week, it is essential to reflect on the progress we have made so far and the strides that still lie ahead in supporting our working parents”.
The nutrition officer maintained that “Nigeria currently implements two maternity entitlement provisions. The first, enshrined in the Nigerian Labour Act, provides up to 12 weeks of maternity leave with at least 50% of salary and breastfeeding breaks during working hours”.
He added that “the second, adopted by the Federal Public Service and pending ratification by states and local civil service, offers a 16-week maternity leave with full pay and two hours off each day to breastfeed up to six months after resuming duty.
“We must foster a workplace culture that recognizes the critical role of both parents in raising a healthy and happy child. Presently, the formal sector employs approximately one million women, while 95% of women work within the informal sector. Shockingly, only 9% of organizations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, with only 1.5% in the public sector. This has to change”.Â
Commenting during the occasion which was organized by the state primary healthcare agency in collaboration with UNICEF, the Permanent Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Chamo, noted that exclusive breastfeeding prevents children from many ailments and diseases.
He added that the child exclusively breastfed will grow more healthier,with strong immunity, a sharp brain, and more potential to become productive in society.
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