The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s low breastfeeding rates, revealing that 90% of Nigerian women have never breastfed their babies. UNICEF’s Communication Officer for the Enugu Field Office, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, disclosed the figures during a virtual Zonal Media Dialogue on the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, organised in collaboration with the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State.
She noted that only one in three babies in Nigeria are given breast milk within the first hour after birth, and the same proportion are exclusively breastfed for the first six months. According to her, early initiation of breastfeeding dropped from 42% in 2018 to 36% in 2023, while exclusive breastfeeding rates stagnated at 29% in both years.
Dr. Ijeoma stressed that breastfeeding should ideally continue for up to 24 months, as recommended by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO), but many Nigerian babies are weaned too early. She said the shortfall is linked to poor workplace policies, with 26 out of 36 states yet to provide paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and other enabling conditions.
“Many workplaces lack policies and facilities for effective breastfeeding,” she said, urging the government and employers to invest in support systems, workplace practices, and community networks to ensure no mother is left behind.
Earlier, the Head of Primary Health Care, Quararafa Quarters, Makurdi, Mrs. Deborah Verve, emphasised the importance of colostrum—the nutrient-rich first milk—which she described as “the baby’s first vaccine.” She said her clinic routinely sensitises pregnant and nursing mothers on exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months.
Verve explained that the facility monitors compliance through feedback and the health of babies, noting that mothers often report visible health improvements in their children when they follow breastfeeding guidelines.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week is themed “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems.”
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