Hello friends, I think there is no nation without the children. It has been said that we did not inherit the world from our forefathers; we borrow it from our children. I guess that is why Abraham Lincoln said the state of humanity is in the hands of the child. I hope to get my hearer thinking in line with the foregoing thoughts.

Now to the business of the day here, permit me to share with you the 5^th of the 12 Attributes of a Child-Friendly Workplace: crèche for children of the staff. I know of one or two workplaces in Nigeria, which has embraced the idea of running a crèche to accommodate the children of their staff. The benefits of a crèche for members of staff cannot be overemphasised. First for nursing mother, who resumes after my advocated maternity leave of six months will have the opportunity to continue to breastfeed their children for another one year six months recommended for supplementary breastfeeding. It will take away the idea of hiring a nanny, in whose hands the children are not safe most times; particularly when the nannies are left to themselves after the parents have gone to work. It will help the mother to keep an eye on the child during her break time and help mother and child to bond more.

Now the fear of an organisation may be that parents will abuse this gesture. Yes, I agree that it is a genuine fear. Every gesture comes with the tendency for abuse but the possibility of abuse will not be sound enough to kill an idea that will give our children the best of care. My suggestion is that there must be a rules and regulations governing the process and there must be sanctions for those who breach the rules.

Please note that when I advocate for crèches in the workplace, I am not talking about an anything-goes crèche. I am talking about a crèche, which meets global standards and is manned by experienced professional. It is my thinking that what is what doing is worth doing well. If a crèche does not meet the global standard, it is not good for the child. Its existence may have helped the image of the company but not the destiny of the child. And you know all things must be done in the best interest of the child and not in the best image of the company,

Please note that the size of the company may play a major role here but permit me to submit that small companies also can execute such plan. The most important thing is the will to do so. My experience in life has shown that where there is a will, a way will fall through. For small companies, who may say they do not the resources or space, you can have it as a policy that will come into existence at a particular time in the life of your organisation.

Thank you for having me. I am out of here today. I urge you friends, Think the Child, Think Today, Think the Future. Have an INSPIRED weekend.