Stakeholders in Public and Private Sectors need to make adequate breastfeeding facilities available in all workplaces to make them friendly to nursing mothers.
This is to ensure that women are able to use the facilities like creche to breastfeed for as long as they wish.
Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji stated this in Ado Ekiti at the Flag-Off of 2023 World Breastfeeding Week held at the office of the first lady in Ado Ekiti recently.
Dr Oyebanji explained that medical experts have shown that breastfeeding is capable of protecting children by significantly reducing the risk of malnutrition and diseases especially in the first year of life.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, advised women to maximise the good gestures of Ekiti State government led by Governor Abayomi Oyebanji who has graciously approved and mandated 6months maternity leave and 2weeks paternity leave for their husbands in both public and private sectors in the state.
Also Speaking on this year’s theme which is “Let’s make Breastfeeding and Work, Work” the Chairman Ekiti State Food and Nutrition Committee, Mr Olusesan Alabi who also doubles as the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning,expressed the believe that six-month exclusive breastfeeding could offer many benefits to the infant as well as the mothers.
The first lady gave gifts to the nursing mothers at the ceremony, charging them to emulate her as she has lived by example by giving her children exclusive breast feeding for the first 6months when she was a nursing mother.
Top government officials, World Health Organisation (WHO)representative, representatives from from banks and other private sectors, members of Medical Women Association, Iyalojas and other stakeholders were present at the event.