Nation
Mothers Express Mixed Feelings Over Exclusive Breast Feeding
Opinions are divided among nursing mothers in Enugu over exclusive breastfeeding for six months before introducing their babies to artificial milk and semi-solid foods.
A survey conducted by newsmen on Friday, in Enugu, indicated that housewives and petty traders welcome the idea, but working nursing mothers expressed reservations about the practice.
Mrs Nnenne Nganaba, a teacher and mother of four, said she could not breastfeed exclusively for six months because at the expiration of her three months’ maternity leave, she would have to resume work.
“After my leave it will be difficult for me to continue breastfeeding exclusively and so l have to introduce artificial milk and semi-solid food to sustain my baby until l return from work”.
“If government is sincere, the six months exclusive breastfeeding, they should extend that maternity leave to six months to help us to actualise the dream”.
Mrs Miriam Ekpelibe, a housewife and mother of two, said exclusive breastfeeding could be achieved in the case of self-employed mothers because they would need to be close to the children to feed them regularly.
“I disagree with the teaching that l will not give my child water. Water, l understand helps digestion and so why should I not administer water to my child. It is impossible,’’ she said.
Ekpelibe, however, noted that for effectiveness, nursing mothers should eat balanced diet, so as to be strong enough to feed the child.
Mrs Ngozi Muozoba, a teacher and mother of six, said that the gains of exclusive breastfeeding could not be over emphasised because breast milk was rich in nutrients required for protection from childhood killer diseases.
“When you spend time to breastfeed your baby, the natural bond between mother and child is strengthened”.
“The only thing is that government and owners of private establishments should provide crèches at work places to enable working mothers to fulfill their obligations to their babies,” she said.
Mercy Nweze, a retired matron, said that exclusive breastfeeding was not only beneficial to the mother and child but also to the society at large.
According to her, children born in the 1960s and mid 1970s exhibited better behavioural patterns than those born lately, because the later were fed more with artificial milk in early months of their lives.
She advised women of child-bearing age to embrace exclusive breastfeeding because of its benefit to the baby.
She advised government to step-up efforts at ensuring that the vision of breastfeeding week was not in vain by providing the enabling environment for mothers to see it as a worthwhile programme.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3