The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi has tasked nursing mothers to prioritise their infants over their husbands for breast feeding.
Speaking at the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week in Osogbo on Wednesday, he said stressed the importance of exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months of their lives without feeding them any herbs.
Alimi, lamented that daily activities of nursing mother to also provide for the house is getting them distracted in breastfeeding their wards very well.
He said “this programme is very important to this government because breast feeding is key factor for development of infants. We noticed that advocacy and enlightenment is not enough in Osun State, hence, Governor Ademola Adeleke approved this programme.
“We understand that economic situation in the country is making people to get swayed by pursuing daily livelihood including nursing mother, this should not get them distracted to breastfeed the infant. There might be competition between the man and the baby, please give priority to the baby to have enough breastfeeding, don’t deprive them.
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“You must breastfeed your child at least 12 times in a day for six months, this will help the child to develop and will make the brain to form very well.”
Similarly, the Osun State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Oluwakemi Popoola, emphasised the importance of breastfeeding, noting that it goes a long way in helping a child’s cognitive which will later help the development of the nation.
She warned that “We must breastfeed our child exclusively without any water, herbs or any other food for the first six months. After this period, do not give any processed food. We advocate for locally affordable, available food that we eat in our community.
“The baby is going to be healthy. The mother as well is going to be healthy. The father himself will not have to spend money on breast milk substitutes thereby saving money that is supposed to be spent on those artificial foods for other older children.”
Popoola said “breastfeeding will save environment because there won’t be litter of artificial food which can breed an unhealthy society which is a precipitator to sickness.”
“There are stages of breastfeeding — and the very first one is the colostrum that the baby gets, which is rich in antibodies and that serves as the first immunisation the baby gets. A baby that is well fed with colostrum is going to be strong. All the immunoglobins, all the vitamins, the minerals like cassium, potasium that the child needs — is going to get it, and the child is fit for the world.”