The Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with other stakeholders, has called for increased support to promote breastfeeding across the country.
At the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week event held in Abuja, Prof. Ali Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, highlighted the significance of breastfeeding, particularly within the first hour after childbirth, for the baby’s nutritional value and development.
Represented by Mrs. Daju Kachollom, Permanent Secretary, Pate noted,
“We are not only here in the FCT; we are across the 36 states of the federation and we are trying to break a world record to support breastfeeding for women.”
He further stated, “We all know the importance of breastfeeding for children for the first six months, exclusive breastfeeding to their growth and development. The responsibility of breastfeeding is not solely on the women, but the men and other stakeholders to support in ensuring babies are exclusively breastfed.”
Pate also emphasized that breastfeeding helps prevent diseases and can provide protection during emergencies due to its antibodies and infection-fighting properties.
UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, remarked, “We are gathered, not just to break a world record, but we are here to make history and send a powerful message to the world about the importance of breastfeeding. I want to reiterate UNICEF’s steadfast commitment to supporting Nigeria in its journey towards better child health and nutrition. Let today be a milestone in our collective efforts to ensure that every child has the best start in life.”
Dr. Goodness Anyanwu, Programme Manager at Civil Society-Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), also reaffirmed their commitment to improving access to food and nutrition security.
Mothers from across the six area councils in the FCT were present at the event.
The National Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (NDHS 2018) reports that Nigeria’s exclusive breastfeeding rate stands at 29%, reflecting that only a portion of infants aged 0–6 months receive exclusive breastfeeding.