Category: Health

In quality healthcare delivery, Lagos State is in a class of its own – a leader far ahead of all other subnational governments. From world-class medical infrastructure and ancillaries that make things happen, the Centre of Excellence never stops striving to improve on its track record of excellence in the health sector. Now, with top-notch technocrats like Prof. Akin Abayomi on the list of 39 cabinet nominees recently transmitted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the Lagos State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation, health sector in the state seems set for more remarkable years. Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF and ROBERT EGBE report

Perhaps in admission that leadership is indeed an obligation, Lagos State has often showed five qualities: setting an example, be an inspiration, acting as a talent advocator, be visionary and exceptionally bold in strategic thinking. This obligation for excellence is a responsibility the state government has openly recognised in the introductory statement on its official website (https://lagosstate.gov.ng/).  “Welcome to Lagos State. The Centre of Excellence has a duty to lead. Our government has taken bold steps to always ensure that Lagos State maintains that leadership position. This is identified in the agenda of this government,” it ambitiously declared.

 Although the exciting moniker, “Centre of Excellence,” is unarguably catchy and classy, it also places a huge responsibility on the state to always stand out and deliver services that gel with people’s individual and collective expectations and aspirations. Already, Lagos, with an economy larger than that of all but eight African countries – Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco – leads as Nigeria’s economic nerve centre. No doubt, Lagos, with its trademark hustle and bustle, is the envy of other states.

 Truly, keen watchers of development events in Lagos know for a fact that the agenda statement referenced above is the driving force that birthed the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, an acronym for “Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment & Tourism; and Security & Governance,” upon which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s vision for the state is anchored since 2019.

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 As the 2023 general elections have come and gone, Lagos, like its counterparts in the remaining 35 states, now has another opportunity to cement its place as the land of opportunities – a place Nigerians from all backgrounds and walks of life readily come to and be proud to call their home. As if by divine foresight, Governor Sanwo-Olu, in 2019, appointed Prof Abayomi, a renowned specialist in internal medicine, haematology, biosecurity, environmental health and human development, as the Commissioner for Health. This singular appointment was to prove rewarding for Lagos and Nigeria – just ahead of the COVID-19 global pandemic that almost paralysed the world. As usual, Lagos further used its management of the COVID-19 crisis to further showcase and prove its claim to being the true centre of excellence. With Governor Sanwo-Olu as the ‘Incident Commander’ and Prof. Abayomi as his deputy, Lagos blazed the trail in COVID-19 surveillance, testing, clinical management, risk communication and vaccination. The novel command structure put in place was able to rally and coordinate human and material resources to combat the dreaded global pandemic, which ravaged most developed countries of the world, earning Lagos national and international recognitions as a model state for health emergency preparedness and response.

An alumnus of the Royal Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital at the University of London, with fellowships from both the Royal College of Medicine and Pathology in the United Kingdom and the College of Medicine of South Africa, Abayomi has, for years, focused on the concept of emerging infectious diseases and the development of laboratory and clinical capacity in Africa. Having worked in diverse countries of the world, the don was also the Chief Pathologist and Head of the Division of Haematology at the University of Stellenbosch’s Faculty of Medicine Science in 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, a Consultant at the University of West Indies and the University of Zimbabwe and has been exposed to a vast variety of geographical variations and disease patterns within the field of Internal Medicine.

Abayomi was the Chair of the H3Africa Consortium Data and Bio-specimen Access Committee, as well as the Founder of the Global Emerging Pathogen Consortium which was entrenched at the peak of the Ebola outbreak to address Biosecurity concerns in Africa. He was a Consultant to the Lagos State Biosecurity and Genomics Project in 2014. Abayomi was also a member of the African Academy of Science Committee on Data Governance and also the Lead Consultant on the Bio-bank, Biosecurity and Bio-data Rescue project in Sierra Leone and Lagos Nigeria. He is consulting for the Lagos State Biosecurity project and the West Africa Health Organisation Bio-security and Bio-banking framework to service the ECOWAS member.

 A massive boost for healthcare delivery

While Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration has had its fair share of challenges, it has also recorded remarkable achievements in several areas. One such area is health and environment. The state’s medical infrastructure has seen a tremendous upgrade in the last four years. During Abayomi’s tenure as the number one health officer in Lagos State, the health sector got massive boosts in both human capital and medical infrastructure development, resulting in improved health indices, including health promotion, disease prevention and control, reduction of maternal and child mortality, improved access to quality and affordable health services, better health financing approach, beneficial hand-shake with the private sector and improved partnership with health development partners.

 During his first four years as the Commissioner for Health, medical infrastructure at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels wore a new look. Through revamping of existing medical infrastructure and building of new ones, Lagos State was able to increase access to quality and efficient health services for citizens and ensure a better working environment for its health workforce. Amongst the critical medical infrastructure projects that Abayomi is helping to midwife is the 150-bed Massey Street Children Hospital, which when completed, will arguably be the best children’s hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa; the new 280-bed Ojo General Hospital; the 1500-bed Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre at Ikosi-Ejirin, Infectious Disease Research Institute and Doctors’ Quarters at LASUTH, Ojo and Gbagada General Hospitals.

 His unique idea of converting brain drain to brain gain through massive medical infrastructure overhaul, capacity building for human resource for health and welfarist agenda for health workers has become a brooding model and subject of discourse in different fora. With a conviction that a health system is a true reflection of its human resource capacity, Abayomi ensured training, re-training, capacity building and certification of over 8,000 health workers and recruitment of over 3,000 to improve service delivery and meet the growing health needs of residents.

 In the last four years, Abayomi has changed public perception about health service delivery in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan, particularly as it relates to regulation, financing and partnerships. Under his watch, over 800,000 residents were covered under the Lagos State Health Scheme, rebranded as Ilera-Eko. His unique leadership style of regular public engagements, public speaking and press and public relations activities helped ensure citizens’ buy-in and ownership of various health policies, programmes and projects of the Lagos State Government. By all standards, Abayomi exceeded the demands and roles of his office as the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, clearly setting standards, creating records and surpassing same in the same breath. Little wonder, he was named in the 39 cabinet nominees recently transmitted by Governor Sanwo-Olu to the Lagos State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

 Projects include the completion and equipping of four maternal and childcare centres at Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Badagry and Epe, the building and activation of 10 triage and oxygen centres across the state, and the activation of two oxygen plants at Mainland Hospital, Yaba and Gbagada General Hospital. There has also been the comprehensive renovation and refurbishment of public health facilities including the General Hospital, Ebute-Meta, General Hospital, Harvey Road, General Hospital, Odan, General Hospital, Isolo and General Hospital Ketu-Ejirini.

 Many primary health facilities have also been renovated. They include Pota PHC, Badagry, Ijegun PHC, Igando-Ikotun, Alausa PHC, Ikeja, Ojodu PHC, Ojodu, Onigbongbo PHC Otumara PHC, Lagos Mainland, Mascara PHC, Agboyi-Ketu, Oworo PHC, Kosofe, Cele- Apata PHC Ayobo, Dauda-Ilo PHC, Ejgbo, Olorunda PHC, Ikorodu, Oki PHC, Agbado Oke-Odo, Losi Oba PHC, Ikorodu North PHC, and Afuye PHC, Epe. There are several ongoing projects, including the construction of the 150-bed New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island, with a Multi-Layer Car Park. Others are construction of 280-bed General Hospital in Ojo, 1,500-bed Psychiatric Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre, Ketu-Ejirin, doctors’ quarters at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), General Hospital Gbagada and Ojo General Hospital Site, construction of a proposed 300-Bed Isolation Centre at Mainland Hospital, Yaba (Design Ready), construction of Infectious Disease Research Centre at Mainland Hospital, Yaba (Design Ready), procurement and installation of two high-capacity incinerators at Mainland and Ikorodu General Hospitals and acquisition of land for Orile-Agege General Hospital, among others.

 The state has also got over 800,000 Lagosians covered under the Lagos Health Insurance Scheme (Ilera Eko, inaugurated five Ilera-Eko Divisional Offices at Ikorodu, Ikeja, Badagry, Lagos Island and Epe, procured a Floating Clinic Boat’; a Fiber Glass, Mono Hull Boat 400HP capacity, water ambulance, for inland waterways medical emergency and riverine communities medical outreach services as part of efforts to increase access to prompt, qualitative and efficient health care services on the waterways and riverine communities, acquired MGI DNBSEQ-G400 Sequencing Machine and a complete work station for sequencing of COVID variants and other pathogens. This health infrastructure; the first of its kind in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa is geared towards improving the diagnosis, research and outbreak investigation capacity of the Lagos State Biobank (LSB) to promptly detect and understand the genomics of pathogens of high consequences and infectious diseases.

 Those close to him often mention his resilient spirit and goal-getting attitude, which became even more evident in Abayomi’s quest and constant striving for health system strengthening and improved health outcomes, which he said is tied to the apron string of good public-private partnership. His innate qualities reached a crescendo during the global COVID-19 pandemic response when his crisis management skills; epidemiology, biosecurity and global health knowledge and experience; and his unique ability to work under intense pressure came to light, earning him national honours and awards including, the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) award and Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) by the Federal Government of Nigeria in recognition of his high productivity, hard work and excellence in Nigeria’s health sector especially in the fight against COVID-19. It is on record that Abayomi’s Lagos blazed the trail in COVID-19 surveillance, testing, clinical management, risk communication and vaccination exercise. Like the owl that he is, working round the clock all day, every day, Abayomi and his team doled out reports, statistics and policy shifts that helped flatten the curve of successive COVID-19 waves.

 It was thus no surprise his help was sought at the national level and his unique model of home-based care, testing strategy in partnership with the private sector and quarantine was adopted by the Federal Government. It was again, little wonder Governor Sanwo-Olu attributed his biggest achievement in health to getting Lagos out of the COVID-19 pandemic. This achievement no doubt is that of the governor as well as the team of incredible health and frontline workers led by Prof. Abayomi. Aside from his remarkable and excellent stint with public health emergency response management, Abayomi has proven that the landscape of medical infrastructure which is usually deplorable in this part of the world can witness remarkable turnaround with good leadership prowess, commitment and passion.

No fewer than 300 expectant and nursing mothers in Kwale community, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State have benefited from a mosquito control intervention. The programme is meant to protect them from malaria. 

The event, which was unveiled and still ongoing at the Ndokwa Local Government Secretariat Hall, was organised by End Malaria in Nigeria. 

It’s in collaboration with Malaria Partners International (MPI), Rotary Club of Kwale ( New Dawn) and Hatch Pest Control and Environmental Services Limited.  

Themed: “Attack Mosquito to Attack Mosquito” the intervention was to protect women from the malaria scourge which kills an average of 300,000 people annually in Nigeria alone. 

Indoor residual spraying was carried out to protect the homes of the women from mosquitoes between three to six months. There was also a larviciding of drainages in the community of beneficiary 

According to the Chairman, Obi Nzete, represented by the Supervisor for Health, Mrs Joyce Okonye, malaria is a huge challenge in the community and it needed a drastic solution to combat it. 

The Registrar of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), under the Ministry of Environment, Dr Mohammed Yakubu, who was represented by the Deputy  Head of Department (HOD) of the Environmental Health Department of the local government, Mr Clement Okonye said there is a need for proper sanitation, cutting of weeds, not clogging drainages and construction of modern drainage so as not to provide breeding sites for mosquito. 

The council chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Chairman, Comrade Ikechukwu Opone urged the community to always clean its drainage system to avoid breeding spaces for a mosquito to thrive. 

The Immediate past President of the Rotary Club of Kwale, Juliet Onakpovhie said that the intervention came at the right time when malaria posed a huge burden in the Kwale community and it was because of expectant and nursing women that necessitated intervention. 

Also, the President of the club Mr. Alexander Osademe said that the intervention was not new as there have been several interventions by the Club. 

In his keynote address, Managing Director of Hatch Pest Control and Environmental Service Limited (HPCESL),  Francis Nwapa said that the campaign is aimed to redirect malaria elimination interventions from curative to preventive and quit cosmetic approach. 

He said that If African countries such as Lesotho, Mauritius, Algeria Libya, Egypt, LA Reunion, Seychelles, Azerbaijan, Belize, Tajikistan and Tunisia have been declared malaria-free,  then Nigeria can put an end to the over 200, 000 deaths caused by malaria. 

Nwapa explained that a country is granted malaria-free certification by World Health Organisation(WHO) when the country has proven that it has interrupted indigenous transmission of the disease for at least three consecutive years. 

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He appealed to the federal, state, and local government authorities to mobilize the services of environmental health professionals for a national environmental health and water management plan that will address drainage and dams construction, and the construction of sanitary landfill among others.

He said: “As a direct process of fighting mosquito in Nigeria government should invest in primary health care and improve remuneration for health workers, adequately fund Nigeria vaccine development laboratory, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, and also establish and adequately fund research centres in universities across the nation.”

A beneficiary of the mosquito control intervention, Mrs Blessing Otuya thanked the organisers for helping to eliminate mosquitoes in her household and the community. 

Another beneficiary, Ms Dorcas Alaha said the organisers have done a great job of making an effort to prevent mosquitoes in the community. 

The event was anchored by a member of the End Malaria in Nigeria,  Mr Babatunde Oluajo.

The Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club, District 404B2 Nigeria on Friday commissioned a multi-million incinerator donated to Oni and Sons Memorial hospital, Ibadan.

The project, according to the 1st Vice District Governor of the Club, Tolulope Sebanjo, was one of five global focus areas of the club which are environment, childhood cancer, diabetic, vision and hunger relief.

Sebanjo said the incinerator would reduce volume of solid waste and burning of waste at the hospital, adding that the Club believes that with little investment in humanity, burden of people can be relieved.

According to him: “We look at needs in our communities, we brings the needs together and see how we can solve them with few resources we have, we put our resources together and effect positively across the world.”

“We came to the hospital and requested for their pressing needs they want us to solve for them, so they requested for manual incinerator and we decided to do that for them.”

Sebanjo urged well meaning Nigerians and various organisations to contribute their quota towards the progress and development of the nation, saying government alone cannot do it considering current economic realities.

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“You don’t have to be a millionaire before helping. With the little you have, contribute it with other members of your organisation or clubs, and you will begin to put smiles on the faces of people.”

President, Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club, 2022/2023 Lion service year, Engr. Michael Alo said the project started during his tenure, saying it would improve cleaniness and hygiene in the hospital, saying former dumping site of the hospital was an eyesore before their intervention.

Head of the hospital, Dr. Samuel Ojo commended the initiative of the club, saying management and staff of the hospital lauded Lions Club effort towards hygiene of people in the hospital.

Wife of Oyo Governor Engr. Mrs Tamunominini Makinde has sensitised women in the State on benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for their babies.

She said breast milk is the best food because it is safe, clean and contains antibody, which prevent babies from common illnesses and diseases, saying it provides energy and nutrients babies need in the first few months of life.

Speaking in Ibadan at the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week with the theme: “Enabling breastfeeding: Making difference for working parents”, organised by Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board in collaboration with Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria Project, Makinde noted that the event was to promote breast feeding for children, create awareness and promote benefit of breastfeeding.

She said: “This event is globally celebrated annually from the 1st to 7th of August, during the breastfeeding celebration, several fact regarding breastfeeding come to the forefront which include nutritional needs of the nursing mothers, support for the nursing mothers, breastfeeding frequency and timing among others.

“The week is considered the most joint extensive campaign on breastfeeding by international organisation such as WHO and UNICEF, the targeted audience in the campaign include the government, policy makers, employers, community and parents who will engage and play their critical role in empowering families on sustaining breastfeeding friendly environment.

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“This year’s breastfeeding week is focus on informing people about challenges of the mothers associated with breastfeeding and parenting, anchor optimal paid leave in supporting mothers, engage with individuals and organisations, enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding, galvanise action to improve support for nursing mothers and provision of relevant support for them in breastfeeding their children.”

She thanked Governor Seyi Makinde for supporting mothers and their babies, adding that health of women across the State is one of the priorities of the Governor.

The Permanent Secretary, Oyo Ministry of Health, Dr. Deji Adeyanju, said Makinde over the time has shown her love for mother’s and babies across the State.

He however said by adequately breastfeeding babies which is the best food for them “we are taking care of of the future of the babies.”

Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso says Gov. Seyi Makinde’s urgent intervention is needed to halt the hospital’s declining state.

The Association, through its President, Dr Sope Orugun, and General Secretary, Dr Nnara Stanley, said Gov. Makinde urgently needs to address the challenges bedeviling LAUTECH Teaching Hospital (LTH).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association had on many occasions earlier sought the intervention of successive governments in the state over the hospital’s declining condition.

The hospital has the capacity to train health workers of different cadres to meet the demands of the citizens of the state and beyond if properly administered.

The ARD LTH, in a statement by Orugun and Stanley, listed some of the hospital’s challenges as shortage of manpower, poor remuneration, brain drain, poor infrastructure and poor financial investment.

“This hospital’s founding fathers had committed huge funds to infrastructural development towards achieving their vision.

“But, sadly, successive governments have abandoned the investment with little or no financial commitment to the improvement of the hospital’s fortune,” it said.

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The ARD said many categories of health workers had been lost to poor remuneration and excessive workload caused by the shortage of hands and the “JAPA” syndrome plaguing the nation.

It pointed out that all federal and state government-owned tertiary hospitals in South Western Nigeria have started the payment of Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).

The doctors however said the only exception in their geo-political zone were those owned by Oyo and Ondo State Governments.

“The MRTF is meant to cater for update, revision courses and examination expenditures, and stands out as a major ‘push factor’ for resident doctors from the centre.

“Most recently, Benue, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara and Nasarawa states have either given approval for payment or effected the same. Sadly, most of these states started negotiations regarding the MRTF long after Oyo state.

“MRTF is similar to the fund paid to other workers to cater for their on-the-job training.

“Oyo state which ought to set the pace has however lagged far behind in the adoption and domiciliation of the MRTF in spite of all efforts from ARD LTH Ogbomoso since 2021,” they said.

The association stated that it would shock many to know that Oyo State Government still pays its health workers less than 5,000 Naira monthly as hazard allowance.

It added that the amount was ridiculous in view of the current economic hardship in the country and the geometric rise in inflation rate and prices of commodities.

“In addition to this, the CONMESS being paid now in the state was last reviewed in 2009, which contravened the agreement of a review every five years.

“This salary structure is already due for a second review. The state government needs to understand the seriousness with which the ‘push-factors’ for brain drain need to be addressed if the tide must be turned.”

The association recalled that Gov. Makinde had in August 2020 promised to pay the fund currently  enjoyed by resident doctors in federal tertiary health institutions.

“Owing to this failed promise, our members have frequently resorted to borrowing money in order to go for these updates and examinations, while not leaving their other responsibilities to families and the society unattended to,” it said.

The ARD noted that it had in 2020 presented Gov. Makinde with a plaque of honour owing to his prompt intervention in the rot he met in the hospital when he assumed office.

“Now, we still have a similar trust in his capability to address the matters raised with the seriousness and promptness they deserve.”

The ARD LTH went on to declare its support for the demand by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on the replacement of resident doctors who exit or complete their training.

NAN reports that NARD has advocated that such doctors should be replaced on a one-for-one basis to mitigate the effect of such departure.

“We support the demand of NARD, and we call for the implementation of the demand at LTH and nationwide,” the association stated.

NAN reports that LTH, which occupies a strategic position in the healthcare space of Oyo state, has the capacity to train well over 170 resident doctors.

This is by virtue of the number of specialists running residency training.

But, like a deprived giant, it currently has 69 resident doctors.

Most departments have now lost their accreditations due to unavailability of adequate personnel and equipment, among other pressing issues, making the hospital less attractive for training.

(NAN)

As part of its Nurturing Terroir pillar for Sustainability and Responsibility Roadmap for 2030, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, a subsidiary of the Pernod Ricard group, leaders in wines and spirits, has partnered with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) to plant 3,000 trees across Nigeria.

This year’s tree planting exercise kicked off with a symbolic event at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos, with employees of Pernod Ricard Nigeria and other guests participating in the tree planting exercise. A total of 3000 trees were planted across various locations of Nigeria including the Old Oyo National Park in Sepeteri, Oyo State, Omu Forest Reserve in Ogun State, Okomu National Park in Edo State, and Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) in Lagos State.

In 2022, Pernod Ricard and the NCF planted 2000 trees across different locations across Nigeria.

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Speaking on the gesture, Sola Oke, Managing Director at Pernod Ricard Nigeria said, “All our products come from nature and take their distinct character from the land where they were grown. Our business is inherently dependent on the vitality of our agricultural ingredients; preserving agricultural lands and ingredients is paramount.  That’s why we are committed to nurturing every terroir and its biodiversity, and responding to the challenges of climate change to ensure quality ingredients now and for generations to come.”

“Through this partnership, Pernod Ricard Nigeria aims to raise awareness about the need to protect and take care of our environment while encouraging individuals and organisations to take proactive steps towards building a sustainable future. By engaging employees and the wider community, we hope to inspire a collective commitment to environmental conservation and create a lasting impact,” Oke added. 

The Wife of Oyo Governor Engineer Tamunominini Makinde attended the 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Brisbane, Australia, where advancements in taming HIV were discussed.

At the conference, which is the world’s most influential meeting on HIV research and its applications, hope for the cure of HIV was raised as delegates were introduced to the “Geneva patient”, the sixth person considered to be “cured” of HIV. The Geneva patient is a Caucasian male whose viral load remains undetectable after 20 months of discontinuing antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Mrs Makinde, who led the Oyo State contingent to the conference which held between 23rd and 26th July, 2023, used the opportunity to solicit support not just for HIV programme in Oyo State, but also for the state health system, especially data management.

She held discussions with the teams from the University of Manitoba, Canada, led by the Project Coordinator, Institute of Global Public Health, Dr. Kalada Green and the Global Fund team through Dr. Greg Ashefor on the need to support the efforts of the government to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

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She also interacted with the World President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), Sharon Lewin.

The over 5000 people who participated at the conference physically and virtually were regaled with progress being recorded in taming HIV, including the discovery of a drug that can preferentially prime latent cells to die and facilitate clearance of the viral reservoir.

Using a humanised mouse model, researchers found that daily doses of the drug for a few weeks significantly delayed viral rebound following cessation of ART.

Sessions of the IAS 2023 explored all aspects of long-acting injectible options, including how to ensure these injectables reach all who need them.

Long-acting ARVs were described as probably the greatest advancement in HIV field in recent years.

Wife of the Oyo Governor, Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde, has encouraged nursing mothers in the State to adopt exclusive breastfeeding for their babies in the first six months to ensure their optimal growth and good health.

Mrs. Makinde, who said this in commemoration of the World Breastfeeding Week, which takes off on Tuesday, said her office would be collaborating with the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum to sensitize nursing mothers on the need for them to imbibe the culture of exclusive breastfeeding for babies because of the inherent benefits in it.

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A statement from the Office of the Wife of the Governor indicated that Mrs. Makinde stressed the importance of a minimum of six months exclusive breastfeeding, saying“breast milk provides best nutrition for babies because it has the right amount of nutrients. It is easily digested and is readily available.”

She also lauded the Oyo State Government for approving six months maternity leave with pay for nursing mothers in the state.

She charged private organisations and other employers in the state to follow the footsteps of the State government by approving six months maternity leave with pay for all nursing mothers in their employment to ensure the wellbeing of infants.

The Governor’s wife noted that the difficulty associated with babies in the first six months of life is reduced when mothers stay close to their babies during the period.

She also stated that to make life easy for working nursing mothers in the state, the Government has a crèche at the Oyo State Secretariat Complex as well as in some other Government offices within and outside the State Secretariat.

Mrs. Makinde thus enjoined employers to do the same for their female staff so that it would be easy for them to take care of their babies while at work.

According to the statement, another feature of the World Breastfeeding Week is sensitizing Nigerians to the importance of home and school gardening, which is part of the ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ initiative of the Federal Government.

Mrs. Makinde then encouraged all Nigerians to see home and school gardening as a tool to fight food shortage in the country.