The Assistant Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Nigeria, Imam Bashir Tahir, made a strong plea to fathers during a two-day Media Dialogue that UNICEF arranged in Yola, Adamawa State. He urged them not to compete with their babies for their wives' breast milk, emphasizing that it is essential for the growth and development of infants.
"God created breast milk strictly for the growth and development of babies," stated Imam Tahir. He further cautioned, "Any father who drags breast milk with a baby is depriving the child of its benefits."
The cleric highlighted the religious implications, noting that it is considered a sin for husbands to ingest even a drop of their wives' breast milk. "When you suck the breast milk of your wife, she automatically ceases to be your wife and becomes your mother because breast milk was ordained for the mother to feed her baby, not adults," he explained.
The dialogue, titled 'Beyond Mothers: Analysing the Role of Fathers and Family Members in Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding for Child Survival,' was attended by media practitioners from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau and Taraba States. The event aimed to dispel misconceptions about breastfeeding and promote exclusive breastfeeding as crucial for child survival.
Traditional ruler Alhaji Abubakar Jika also endorsed exclusive breastfeeding, highlighting its nutritional and economic benefits. "I recommend exclusive breastfeeding to my subjects because you cannot give what you don’t have," he said. He shared his personal experience, stating, "I encouraged my wife to engage in exclusive breastfeeding and I have seen the immense benefits in the lives of my children."
Philomena Irene, a UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, stressed the importance of media in correcting myths and misconceptions surrounding exclusive breastfeeding. She urged journalists to create a sustained campaign to support breastfeeding mothers. "We must write inspirational stories, we must write with evidence that is true with the practice of exclusive breastfeeding," she said.
The 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) revealed low rates of exclusive breastfeeding in the region, with Adamawa at 53.3 percent, Bauchi at 26.4 percent, Gombe at 30.7 percent, Plateau at 38.6 percent and Taraba at 33.7 percent. "These are not indices that should make one happy," Irene remarked, urging for a change in the narrative.
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