The First Lady of Lagos State Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has advocated for improved babyfriendly policies for working mothers.
The First Lady made the call at 2023 World Breastfeeding Week advocacy engagement session organized by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and NECA Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) in partnership with FHI 360/ Alive & Thrive.
In her special remarks, her excellency, the Lagos State first lady Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu emphasized the need for continuous advocacy and support for breastfeeding.
“We must sustain the advocacy and ensure that the message is cascaded to the target groups in order to bring about a convergence that will facilitate a situation whereby all relevant stakeholders are on the same page to support breastfeeding.”
The First Lady who was represented by Mrs. Ogunnubi Patience Olamide mentioned the steps Lagos state government has put in place.
“The state government has already implemented far-reaching policies to ensure that nursing mothers can breastfeed their babies, including six-month maternity leave for mothers, while the fathers are also entitled to paternity leave to support their wives.
“The commitment of the government is to continue to implement policies and reforms that will consistently engender a conducive atmosphere for nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies optimally.” she said
The First Lady further encouraged all stakeholders take a cue from this year’s theme of World Beastfeeding Week to be responsive.