Wife of the Kwara State governor, Amb. Olufolake AbdulRazaq has urged stakeholders in the state to raise awareness about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Amb. AbdulRazaq also tasked the stakeholders to take responsibility and join hands to raise awareness about the huge benefits of breastfeeding and support mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding for the good of state and Nigeria.

Mrs AbdulRazaq made the appeal during the flag-off of the World Breastfeeding Week in Ilorin, the state's capital.

She stated that, "Our governor was one of the first to approve six months of maternity leave for civil servants in the country thereby setting the stage for children to be exclusively breastfed.

"I urge all stakeholders in the state including political, traditional and community leaders; leaders in the private sector and indeed every Kwaran and Nigerians at large to take responsibility and join hands to raise awareness of the huge benefits of breastfeeding and support mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding for the good of our dear state and Nigeria."

In her remarks, The Executive Secretary, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, said that the state had the highest rate of exclusive breastfed babies in the North-Central part of the country.

She put the rate at 57.6 per cent "which is the highest in the North Central zone and higher than the national average of 34.4 per cent.

"The state is poised to surpass the target of 70 percent by 2030 through several interventions and enabling environment provided by the state government".

Elelu, represented by the Director of Primary Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr Michael Oguntoye, added that the state government "is committed to promoting breastfeeding and other nutritional interventions to curb the scourge of malnutrition".