From: Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government marked World Breastfeeding Week with a call from First Lady Hajiya Khadija Umar Namadi, delivered through the wife of the deputy governor, Hajiya Aisha Aminu Usman, for men to support lactating mothers in practising six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Speaking at Kachi Primary Health Centre, she urged both government and private employers to “establish and fully equip breastfeeding rooms in workplaces” to help working mothers balance their careers and childcare.
“Breastfeeding is not just nourishment, it is life, protection, and love,” she declared, describing it as a baby’s “first vaccine” that combats malnutrition, childhood infections, and maternal diseases.
She warned that many women, including civil servants and market traders, are forced to choose between their jobs and nurturing their newborns, insisting: “This should not be the case.”
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The First Lady stressed that “providing breastfeeding rooms should not be seen as a privilege, but as a policy priority,” and urged ministries, agencies, employers, and community leaders to see it as an investment in “a healthier, stronger, and more prosperous future.”
She noted that under Governor Malam Umar Namadi, every Primary Health Care Centre is equipped to support nursing mothers, with community volunteers trained to promote proper infant nutrition in rural areas.
“Breastfeeding is not just a mother’s duty, it is a community responsibility,” she affirmed.
State Nutrition Officer Muhammad Abdullahi added that exclusive breastfeeding was “the most effective and affordable form of infant nutrition” yet only 29–30% of mothers in Jigawa practised it, according to the 2023 National Demographic and Health Survey.
He called on fathers, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to lead by example in promoting awareness of breastfeeding’s benefits for both physical and mental child development.
