By Ayomide Otitoju
The Chief of Nutrition at UNICEF Abuja, Nemat Hajeebhoy, has applauded Nigerian mothers for their commitment to breastfeeding, stating that over 90 percent breastfeed their children.
She made the remarks at the launch of World Breastfeeding Week in Ambursa, Kebbi State, emphasizing that breastfeeding is a vital tool for child survival and is enshrined as a right in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Breastfeeding is a child’s first vaccine. Thank you, mothers, for doing this,” she said. However, she warned that exclusive breastfeeding rates were dropping and called for joint efforts to reverse the trend.
Hajeebhoy commended Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris for granting six months maternity leave to civil servants, describing it as a progressive move.
The governor’s wife, Nafisa Nasir-Idris, also urged mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding, noting its role in boosting intelligence and disease resistance. She and other officials distributed food and gift items to encourage the practice.
