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LAGOS – As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent action to improve breastfeeding practices, warning that only three in 10 Nigerian babies are exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life.
UNICEF also warned that too many babies are being denied the healthiest possible start to life despite the life-saving benefits of breastmilk.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Lagos, covering the entire South- West region, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, specifically said the South-West region still has significant work to do in ensuring that every newborn benefits from recommended breastfeeding practices.
Commenting in an interview with Daily Independent, Lafoucriere described breastmilk as every baby’s first vaccine.
She stressed that breastmilk protects children against illness, supports stronger brain development and provides the best possible foundation for healthy growth at no financial cost to families.
According to her, although most Nigerian mothers breastfeed their babies, many are unable to follow the recommended practices that offer the greatest protection during a child’s earliest months.
She noted that only one in three babies in Nigeria is put to the breast within the first hour after birth, while only three in 10 infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, receiving no water, infant formula or solid food during that period.
Lafoucriere said South- West Nigeria, with its hospitals, thriving commercial centres and large population of working mothers, has the opportunity to improve these figures through stronger collective support for breastfeeding.
She, however, emphasised that mothers cannot shoulder the responsibility alone, insisting that successful breastfeeding depends on support from employers, health workers and family members.
According to her, working mothers require workplaces that provide adequate time and private spaces for breastfeeding, while health workers must offer accurate guidance on infant feeding and ensure that mothers are protected from misleading formula marketing.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Lagos also urged husbands, mothers, mothers- in-law and religious leaders to encourage breastfeeding rather than discourage or question mothers who choose to follow recommended practices.
Addressing employers directly, Lafoucriere appealed for breastfeeding- friendly work environments that allow mothers the time and privacy required to feed their babies.
She equally called on health workers to ensure that every newborn is placed on the breast within the first hour after birth, describing early initiation as a critical step towards improving child survival and development.
The UNICEF official further appealed to families to provide practical and emotional support to breastfeeding mothers instead of creating unnecessary doubts or pressure.
She reserved special words of encouragement for mothers caring for their babies, acknowledging the commitment of women who continue breastfeeding, including during the quiet hours of the night.
“You are giving your child their first and best gift,” she said, assuring mothers that UNICEF, its partners and government remain committed to supporting them in giving every child the healthiest possible start in life.
FG Urges Stakeholders To Enforce Breastfeeding Code The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has urged stakeholders to enforce the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes to promote optimal breastfeeding practices and improve child nutrition in the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) and the launch of the First 1,000 Days of Life Nutrition Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Campaign.
The 2026 WBW has the theme, ‘Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.’
Represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, Pate said the campaign was aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding and improved nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life.
He described the period as a critical window that shapes a child’s growth, brain development, future productivity, and lifelong health.
According to him, poor nutrition during the period results in irreversible consequences, including stunting, impaired cognitive development, weakened immunity, and reduced economic potential.
“The theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week reminds us that breastfeeding is a life-saving intervention and one of the smartest investments for building healthier children, stronger families and resilient communities.
“Strengthen What Works’ means reinforcing policies, quality health services, baby-friendly workplaces, supportive communities and enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
“Nigeria continues to face the triple burden of malnutrition comprising undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and rising overweight and obesity,” he said.
Pate noted that although breastfeeding remained one of the most effective interventions for child survival, optimal breastfeeding practices in Nigeria were still low.
According to him, while 95 percent of mothers breastfeed, only 36 percent initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth, and just 29 percent exclusively breastfeed for the first six months.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life.
In her keynote address, the senior special assistant to the president on public health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, described breast milk as the most powerful public health intervention available to any nation.
She said the theme of the celebration was a call to action for families, communities and governments to strengthen support for exclusive breastfeeding.
According to her, breast milk contains all the nutrients an infant requires during the first six months of life.
Rochas-Anwukah said Vice-President Kashim Shettima had directed that breastfeeding be treated not merely as a maternal choice but as a national investment.
“A breastfed child is a healthier child, a smarter child and a more productive citizen in waiting.
“This campaign must not end in Abuja; it must extend to all the 774 local government areas through the Nutrition 774 framework and reach every ward, primary healthcare centre and household,” she said.
The Deputy Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Rownak Khan, described exclusive breastfeeding as a child’s first protection against illness, malnutrition and preventable deaths.
Khan said breastfeeding also laid a strong foundation for learning, productivity and human capital development.
According to her, evidence has consistently shown that scaling up breastfeeding can prevent hundreds of thousands of maternal and child deaths while improving children’s cognitive development.
Also speaking, the director of nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Clementina Okoro, called for greater support for nursing mothers.
Okoro, who represented the National Committee on Food and Nutrition, said breastfeeding must be promoted, protected and supported through coordinated action by all stakeholders.
The executive secretary of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Sunday Okoronkwo, described exclusive breastfeeding as the foundation for human capital development, healthier communities and sustainable national development.
Represented by the programme manager, Ridwan Awosanya, Okoronkwo urged governments at all levels, employers, the private sector, communities and development partners to strengthen policies and support systems that enable mothers to initiate breastfeeding early.
He also advocated policies that promote the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding in line with global recommendations.
