UNICEF launches first 1,000 days nutrition initiatives in Nigeria's Kaduna and Bayelsa states

The Kaduna state government and UNICEF have launched the First 1,000 Days Social and Behaviour Change Initiative for Nutrition, aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding and improving maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health across the state. Health Commissioner Hon. Umma K. Ahmed highlighted breastfeeding as a low‑cost, effective strategy for child survival, development and lifelong health, while UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Chinwe Ezeife stressed the critical window from conception to age two.

In Bayelsa, the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints inaugurated a one‑year, N280 million project to prevent malnutrition during the first 1,000 days. The programme targets pregnant women and children under two, with funding split equally between the Bayelsa government and UNICEF, complemented by church contributions. Officials cited high rates of stunting and maternal anaemia in Nigeria and stressed that early nutrition interventions are essential for growth, cognitive development and future economic opportunities.