By Joy Odor, Abuja
The Federal Government has restated its strong commitment to promoting optimal breastfeeding practices as a cornerstone of national health, nutrition security, and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Speaking at a high-level event to mark the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) held at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Wednesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate (CON), presented a bold national agenda to scale up breastfeeding initiatives and support systems across the country.
Represented by Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director/Head of the Nutrition Department, Prof. Pate said this year’s WBW theme, “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” is a strategic call to action for stakeholders governments, health professionals, employers, families, and communities to rally behind breastfeeding as a public health priority.
“Breastfeeding is not the sole responsibility of women. It is a shared obligation and must be treated as a national development strategy and a climate resilience measure,” he said.
Citing the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Prof. Pate lamented that only 29% of Nigerian infants are exclusively breastfed during their first six months, far below the global target of 50% and Nigeria’s 2030 national goal of 80%.
He also noted that just 23% of babies are breastfed within the first hour of birth, marking a troubling decline.
To bridge this gap, he highlighted the federal government’s investments in:
Training healthcare providers—including doctors, midwives, and community health workers,
Implementing baby-friendly hospital initiatives,
Granting 112-day paid maternity leave and two-hour daily breastfeeding breaks for nursing mothers in the civil service,
Enforcing 14-day paternity leave for fathers,
Curbing aggressive formula marketing through NAFDAC’s enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS).
“If we get breastfeeding right, we take a giant step toward ending malnutrition, reducing poverty, building a climate-smart nation, and securing a healthier, more prosperous Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described breastfeeding as “nature’s first climate-smart food system.”
Represented by Alhaji Suleiman Umar, Director of General Services at the ministry, Dr. Salako emphasized that breastmilk requires no packaging or transportation, produces no waste, and carries zero carbon footprint unlike formula, which contributes to environmental degradation.
He called on:
Health facilities to adopt baby-friendly practices,
Employers to provide enabling environments for nursing mothers,
Community leaders to normalize breastfeeding in households,
Policymakers to increase budgetary allocations for maternal and child nutrition.
“To every health worker, community leader, father, employer, and policymaker—this is your call to action,” Dr. Salako declared. “Support our mothers. Protect our future.”
Representatives from global health agencies also lent their voices.
World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, Dr. Pindar Wakawa, described breastfeeding as a moral, economic, and environmental imperative, urging governments to invest in systems that support women throughout their breastfeeding journey from antenatal care to workplace accommodations.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Sumit Khan, emphasized that breastfeeding is the most cost-effective child survival intervention, warning that neglecting it could worsen child mortality, poverty, and inequality.
He urged revitalization of community health structures and baby-friendly workplaces to sustain gains.
The ceremony concluded with a maternity ward tour at the National Hospital, where representatives of the Health Ministry, WHO, and UNICEF interacted with breastfeeding mothers.
The women were presented with gift items such as towels and umbrellas and inducted into the Breastfeeding Advocate Club.
