By Dorothy Onoja
The Kogi State Ministry of Health on Monday marked the 2025 world breastfeeding week with a road show to sensitive members of the public on the importance of breastfeeding.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the road Walk, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza’ represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Momoh Steven Aziz emphasized the significance of breastfeeding in preventing diseases, reducing economic burdens on families, and promoting healthy growth and development in children.
He expressed gratitude to all stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, partners, and the media, for their support in making the event a success.
The Commissioner highlighted the benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and children, citing its role in reducing the risk of infections, allergies, and diseases in infants, while also promoting healthy brain development and bonding between mother and child.
He noted that breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for mothers, including post-partum recovery, reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and improved family planning.
“The Kogi State Government has implemented initiatives to support breastfeeding mothers, including training healthcare workers and establishing breastfeeding-friendly public spaces.”
“Kogi State Government is therefore, committed to creating a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers and promoting a culture that values and normalizes breastfeeding.”
“The government’s effort aims at reducing the challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers and promote a healthy start in life for infants. By supporting breastfeeding, the government is investing in the health and well-being of its citizens, particularly its most vulnerable populations which are mothers and children.”
He noted that the state Government under the able leadership of his Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has approved six months paid maternity leave for mothers and fourteen days paid paternity leave for father’s to encourage breast feeding.
The Commissioner expressed gratitude to Development partners for their support in promoting breastfeeding awareness in the state and acknowledged the critical role of the partners in making the awareness programme a success.
The Executive Director of the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muazu Musa Omeiza, emphasized the importance of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life.
“Breast milk provides essential nutrients, helps build a strong immune system, and prevents childhood diseases.”
Dr. Omeiza called on mothers to prioritize breastfeeding and for employers to create a conducive environment for nursing mothers. He also urged healthcare workers to intensify advocacy and education on breastfeeding, providing accurate information on its benefits and methods.
“The Agency has trained personnel to disseminate information on breastfeeding and other health issues to the grassroots level, ensuring a wider reach and impact.” “This effort aims to reduce hospital visits, economic burdens on families, and promote healthy growth and development in children.”
Also speaking, the focal person of SWAP, Dr. Emmanuel Bola Jonah noted that the media plays a crucial role as a vital arm of government, “and it is essential for us to emphasize key issues for you to amplify. We urge you to help us highlight the importance of creating a favorable environment for breastfeeding mothers, particularly in the private sector.” “This includes providing flexibility and support for nursing mothers in the workplace.”
“As part of your corporate social responsibility, we encourage you to help amplify these key issues and promote a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers. We’ll also be engaging with you in performance dialogue sessions to review our progress, identify areas for improvement, and share updates on our key indicators across nutrition areas. This will help us track our progress and work towards further improvement”, he stated.
In a remark,the president of malnourished children and special persons group, Mrs.Roseline Omowunmi Alabi thanked the Irin focal person for his impactful program, “especially today’s event, which has greatly benefited women and children.” “Your efforts are truly making a difference, and I pray that your good works will continue to yield success.”
” I ‘do also like to express my gratitude to Mr. Bola who has been supporting our organization for the past three years.
” Your work speaks for itself, and we’re grateful for your contributions. Your training on nutrition, breastfeeding, and proper feeding practices has been invaluable, and we’re now extending this knowledge to secondary school students and communities.”
The Kogi State nutrition officer, Usman Abdulazeez said the state government has implemented a sectoral-based approach to address nutrition through the Committee on Food and Nutrition.
“This committee, domiciled in the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, brings together various ministries, including Women’s Affairs, Education, Agriculture, and Health. For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture has trained women and households on homestead gardening, while the Ministry of Education has introduced school gardening programs in public and private schools.”
” The government has also launched a cash transfer programme to support vulnerable populations, enabling them to access food, transportation, or start small-scale businesses.” ” Furthermore, plans are underway to establish nutrition sites for malnourished children and implement an IPC standard for referring complicated cases to specialized hospitals.”
The government intends to step down its nutrition initiatives across the state’s 39 wards and engage with the media in its next quarterly meeting to discuss ongoing efforts and future plans.”
Dorothy Onoja
PRO
Ministry of Health
