By Dickson Omobola

Pregnant women and nursing mothers, Tuesday, endorsed the second term bid of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, saying that he deserves to be re-elected on account of his contributions towards ensuring the comfort of women.

The women who spoke at the 4th edition of the Mother Infant & Child Development, MICHD, an initiative of the Lagos State government, lauded Sanwo-Olu for instituting and sustaining the programme, noting that it has helped ensure mother and child security from conception, to birth, to adolescence and into adulthood.

They also commended the incumbent governor for providing Lagosians with free health insurance through the ILERA-EKO scheme, adding that it gives them an opportunity to access qualitative healthcare services at an affordable price.

Speaking at the event, Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said the 4th edition of the MICH programme, was organised to provide 570 indigent pregnant women across the primary health care centres within the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state with nourishing food packs that would help proper brain development of the foetus for 24 weeks.

She said: “Permit me to reiterate that the MICHD 2050 is sure for the attainment of some of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, such as no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; decent work and economic growth.

“I also reiterate that the planning and blue print for Lagos of tomorrow start today by ensuring that our children for whom we are building the Lagos of tomorrow, have proper cognitive development among others to be productive citizens, who are able to harness and exploit the development and economic growth achieved. This futuristic plan with a present-day outlook is what the MICHD 2050 programme is about.

“We are here today, we pregnant and nursing mothers to endorse our working governor for another term. There is no gain saying, Sanwo-Olu is the only governor in the whole of Nigeria, if not in West Africa that has this laudable programne for pregnant women. He is the only one thinking out of the box in terms of security.

“This particular programme has a multiplier effect as we are using nutrition as a means to an end. Some of the multiplier effect along the nutritional value chain are proper brain development; reduced neonatal and maternal mortality rate; reduce stunted growth; reduce the resort to traditional birth attendant; improve human capital development pool; and reduction in the amount the state losses to malnutrition which is estimated by the world bank to be around $500 per individual.”