The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to promoting optimal breastfeeding practices as a cornerstone of national health, nutrition security, and sustainable development.
During a high-level event held at the National Hospital, on Wednesday in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, delivered a comprehensive national agenda aimed at scaling up breastfeeding practices, strengthening support systems, and addressing the environmental and socio-economic implications of suboptimal infant nutrition.
Represented by Mrs. Ladidi-Bako Aiyegbusi mni, Director/Head Nutrition Department FMoHSW, Prof. Pate declared that this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), themed “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” is a strategic call to action.
He said all stakeholders, including governments, health professionals, employers, families, and communities, must work together to build long-term structures that empower mothers and protect every Nigerian child’s right to nutrition and survival.
“Breastfeeding is not the sole responsibility of women, but a shared obligation. It must be treated as a public health priority, a national development strategy, and a climate resilience measure,” Prof. Pate stated.
The Coordinating Minister emphasized that breastfeeding is not just about infant feeding, it delivers profound health, social, and economic benefits: “It reduces infant morbidity and mortality, It supports maternal health by lowering the risk of certain cancers, It lowers household medical expenses, It boosts workplace productivity, and It contributes to higher human capital and long-term economic gains.”
According to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), only 29% of Nigerian infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, far below the global target of 50% and Nigeria’s national target of 80% by 2030. Alarmingly, only 23% of babies are breastfed within one hour of birth, a dramatic drop from previous years.
“The statistics reveal a serious gap in supportive environments for breastfeeding mothers, both in healthcare settings and at home,” Prof. Pate noted.
“To address this, the federal government has invested in training healthcare workers, including doctors, midwives, nurses, and community health workers, Implementation of baby-friendly hospital initiatives,112-day paid maternity leave for federal civil servants and two-hour daily breastfeeding breaks until the baby turns one, and 14-day paternity leave for men to support mothers, ”he highlighted.
Pate also highlighted the government’s enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS) through NAFDAC to curb aggressive promotion of formula and protect exclusive breastfeeding.
Prof. Pate echoed this sentiment in closing: “If we get breastfeeding right, we take a giant step towards ending malnutrition, reducing poverty, building a resilient climate-smart nation, and securing a healthier, more prosperous Nigeria.”
Following the Coordinating Minister’s address, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, emphasized that Nigeria must seize the moment to elevate breastfeeding as a national development imperative.
Represented at the event by Director General Services Department FMoHSW Alhaji Suleiman Umar, Dr. Salako stated:
“This year, we are not just commemorating World Breastfeeding Week, we are marking a turning point. The theme challenges us to act at critical intersections of infant nutrition, climate resilience, and equity.”
He described breastfeeding as “nature’s first climate-smart food system”, noting that it produces zero waste, requires no packaging or transportation, and has no carbon footprint. In contrast, formula feeding contributes to environmental degradation, increases family expenses, and heightens infant vulnerability.
“We need more than good intentions, we need an interconnected system of support that includes trained health workers, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, supportive families, and community champions,” he stressed.
Dr. Salako called on: “Health facilities to adopt and implement baby-friendly practices., Employers provide enabling environments for nursing mothers., Community leaders to mobilize households to normalize breastfeeding., and Policymakers to increase budgetary support for maternal and child nutrition programs.”
“To every health worker, community leader, father, employer, policymaker, this is your call to action,” said Dr. Salako. “Identify your role. Support our mothers. Protect our future.”
Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF lauded Nigeria’s leadership and called for expanded efforts.
WHO Representative, Dr. Pindar Wakawa, said: “Breastfeeding is not only a health intervention, it is a moral, economic, and environmental imperative. We urge governments at all levels to invest in systems that support every woman to breastfeed, from antenatal care through to the workplace.”
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Sumit Khan, speaking as both a health advocate and father, made a passionate plea:
“Breastfeeding is the most impactful and cost-effective child survival intervention. If we don’t protect and support it, we risk worsening child mortality, inequality, and poverty.”
Khan highlighted the importance of community health workers in promoting breastfeeding at the grassroots and advocated for the revitalization of baby-friendly hospitals and workplaces across the country.
Immediately after the ceremony, representatives of the Coordinating Minister, Minister of State, WHO and UNICEF undertook a tour of maternity wards, interacting with breastfeeding mothers inside the postnatal ward of the National Hospital Abuja. The Breastfeeding mothers received gift items as towels and umbrellas and, inducted into the breastfeeding advocate club as well.
Signed
Alaba Balogun
Head, Information & Public Relations
6 August 2025
