Nigeria pushes exclusive breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week

UNICEF’s Lagos field office chief, Celine Lafoucriere, called for collective action to improve exclusive breastfeeding in South‑west Nigeria as World Breastfeeding Week began. She highlighted that only one in three newborns is put to the breast within the first hour and just three in ten are exclusively breastfed for six months, urging employers, health workers, families and community leaders to create supportive environments, provide private spaces and accurate information, and resist formula marketing.

In Kaduna State, Health Commissioner Umma Ahmed reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding breastfeeding and maternal nutrition programmes, describing exclusive breastfeeding as a cost‑effective public‑health intervention and a strategic investment in human capital. The state plans to strengthen infant and young child feeding programmes, baby‑friendly health facilities, nutrition services and community initiatives across its 23 local government areas, and called on families, employers and religious leaders to enable mothers to breastfeed successfully.