Nigeria currently has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with only 17% of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their infants for the recommended 6 months.

The National Demographic & Health Survey of 2018 puts early initiation rate of breastfeeding at 42%, an indication that a substantial proportion of children in Nigeria do not have access to their mother’s milk.

In order to change the narrative and to most importantly meet the World Health Assembly’s target of 50% Breastfeeding Rate by 2030, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), met with some medical practitioners (mostly Nurses & Midwives) in Ilorin the Kwara State Capital for her Mamacare NICU Plus Refresher Training Program.

The programme which started operations in 2021 in 5 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) facilities in Nigeria, including General Hospital and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital both in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital, reminded health care givers about their roles to see that newborns especially preterm babies get enough breastmilk for life.

According to Kwara State Coordinator, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA)- Mr. Kehinde AKINSOLA, the program runs simultaneously at 5 NICU facilities located in Abuja, Lagos and Kwara State with the primary purpose of improving lactation for mothers thereby improving hope of life for preterms.

“The programmes are for mothers and their neonates- They are the infants, the babies that need support in the area of lactation because most babies in NICU are babies in preterms- babies that came early. The program is designed to support them especially giving them a hope of life” says the state coordinator.

“Speaking after the refresher course, a Chief Nursing Officer at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH (Mrs.) Usman Folashade Ramat appreciated the WBFA for the refresher program”

Actually, the training by the Wellbeing Foundation for Africa has been a good one and an eye opener for us today and an added advantage for us in order to care for the mother and the baby, to establish breastfeeding within the first 3 hours of delivery”

On her part, a Nurse with the Post Natal Surgical Ward, UITH- Mrs. Alabi Oladunni said the program was a reminder that the breastmilk can be used after proper refrigeration.

“When they brought the machines, I mean the Medela Machines to our ward; it’s very effective, painless, easy to use and convenient for our mothers. As for the program of today it was very educative as the milk can be used after four hours of refrigerating it and after one hour of defrosting”.

Mrs. Abdulfatai Rukayyat is a nursing mother at the NICU Ward, UITH, who has been enjoying the benefit of the intervention, appealed for more breast pumps for the ward.

“The breast pump has been of great use to us in this ward. As a nursing mother I need to feed my baby every two-two hours and the pump has been handy but not enough to serve the entire ward because at the NICU Ward here we have to queue behind people before it gets to our turn for use. Please having more breast pumps will bring great relief to us here” she said in Yoruba.

The WBFA Mamacare NICU Plus Refresher Training Program- a brainchild of the former first Lady of Kwara State Mrs. Toyin Saraki, held on Tuesday the 6th of February and (yesterday) Thursday, 8th of February, 2024 in the General Hospital, Ilorin and UITH respectively, had facilitators drawn from the WBFA team.