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Patience Ogbodo-Iwuagwu
UNICEF has called for stronger support systems to improve breastfeeding practices in Nigeria.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, made the call in a press briefing as part of 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.
She stressed that exclusive breastfeeding remains below national and global targets despite over 90 per cent of Nigerian mothers breastfeeding their babies.
She described breastfeeding as one of the most effective investments in child survival, nutrition and national development.
Chiluwe noted that although breastfeeding is widely practised in Nigeria, optimal breastfeeding remains a challenge. According to the 2023–2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), only 29 per cent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, while early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth has dropped to 36 per cent.
She explained that this year’s theme encourages governments, healthcare providers and communities to strengthen interventions that have already proven successful in improving breastfeeding outcomes rather than creating new approaches.
She identified such interventions to include early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Mrs. Chiluwe said breastfeeding is not only beneficial to children and mothers but also contributes to sustainable development by reducing healthcare costs, preventing malnutrition, lowering household spending on infant feeding and protecting the environment from waste associated with breastmilk substitutes.
She said “Breastfeeding is one of the most effective investments in child survival, health, nutrition and national development. Strengthening proven interventions will help every child get the best possible start in life,” she said.
