With the commencement of World Breastfeeding Week on Thursday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Nigeria's breastfeeding rate has increased to 34 percent.

The UN agencies further indicated that over the past 12 years, the proportion of infants under six months who are exclusively breastfed in Nigeria has risen by more than 10 percent.

This year's theme, "Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all," highlights the necessity of enhancing breastfeeding support as a vital measure to mitigate health inequities and safeguard the rights of mothers and infants to thrive.

They noted that 34 percent of infants in Nigeria are receiving a healthy start in life, which equates to hundreds of thousands of lives saved through breastfeeding. While this notable progress brings Nigeria closer to the WHO's goal of achieving at least 50 percent exclusive breastfeeding by 2025, several ongoing challenges remain to be addressed.

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative, emphasized that breastfeeding serves as the cornerstone of lifelong health and well-being, stating that it is a straightforward, cost-effective, and natural method to supply infants with essential nutrients for their healthy growth and development.

Exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria continue to remain low despite the proven benefits. Cultural, social, and practical barriers hinder many mothers from exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of their child's life.

During this crucial period of early growth and development, breast milk provides antibodies that protect babies from illness and death. Breastfeeding also ensures a safe, nutritious, and accessible food source for infants and young children, particularly during emergencies.

In Nigeria, gaps in breastfeeding support include insufficient maternity leave policies, lack of workplace support, and inadequate access to breastfeeding education and services, especially in rural areas.

To address these issues, collaboration is needed among the government, employers, healthcare providers, and communities.

Policies should be implemented to extend paid maternity leave, create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and provide comprehensive breastfeeding education and support services. UNICEF is supporting Nigeria in setting a world record for the highest number of lactating mothers breastfeeding simultaneously, aiming to draw attention to the importance of breastfeeding and challenge harmful nutrition norms and practices.

To promote advancement, it is essential to have access to data regarding policy measures that facilitate breastfeeding, such as family-friendly employment policies, regulation of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and investment in breastfeeding.

Enhancing monitoring systems will enhance the efficacy of breastfeeding policies and initiatives, facilitate informed decision-making, and guarantee that support systems can be adequately funded. It was also noted that when breastfeeding is safeguarded and encouraged, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their babies.

This is a collective responsibility. Families, communities, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and other decision-makers all have a crucial role to play by increasing investment in programs and policies that safeguard and promote breastfeeding through dedicated national budgets and by implementing and monitoring family-friendly workplace policies, such as paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and access to affordable and high-quality childcare.

It was also emphasized the importance of ensuring that mothers who are vulnerable in emergencies or from underrepresented communities receive breastfeeding protection and support tailored to their specific needs, including timely and effective breastfeeding counseling as part of routine health services.