UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO), and other health experts warn that more than 70 percent of Nigerian babies are being denied breastmilk’s life-saving, vaccine-like protection as inadequate support from families, employers, health workers and government continues to frustrate mothers’ efforts to exclusive breastfeed during the critical first six months of life, reports Sunday Independent.
Decrying the situation, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Lagos, covering the South-West, Ms Celine Lafoucriere, warned that with over 70 percent of Nigerian babies missing breastmilk’s life-saving protection, mothers cannot win Nigeria’s breastfeeding battle alone.
Lafoucriere insisted that every baby deserves a shared commitment from families, employers, health workers and government from the moment of birth.
Marking World Breastfeeding Week, Lafoucriere said breast milk is every baby’s first vaccine, protecting infants against disease, strengthening brain development and giving children the healthiest possible start in life.
Yet, while most Nigerian mothers breastfeed, only one in three babies is put to the breast within the first hour after birth, and only three in 10 are exclusively breastfed for their first six months.
On his part, Dr Paul Ikhurionan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician and Paediatric Neurologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and the University of Benin, warned that millions of Nigerian babies are being denied their first vaccine.
He said many miss breastfeeding during the critical “golden hour” after birth, when colostrum – the nutrient-rich first milk packed with antibodies and immune factors – provides newborns with vital protection against disease.
Ikhurionan told our correspondent that despite growing awareness of breastfeeding, seven in every 10 Nigerian infants still miss exclusive breastfeeding during their first six months of life, denying them one of the most effective child survival interventions.
The Consultant Developmental Paediatrician attributed the poor breastfeeding rate to poverty, cultural beliefs, aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes, inadequate family support and inconsistent breastfeeding counselling. Many mothers, particularly those in the informal sector, are forced to resume work shortly after childbirth because they lack paid maternity leave, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and childcare support.
The specialist warned that babies who are not exclusively breastfed face greater risks of diarrhoea, pneumonia, ear infections, malnutrition and hospitalisation. Beyond infancy, they are more likely to experience poorer cognitive development and educational outcomes and face increased risks of obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases later in life.
Ikhurionan stressed that hospitals must prioritise immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth, early initiation of breastfeeding, avoidance of unnecessary prelacteal feeding and continuous breastfeeding support before discharge and during postnatal care.
He also urged governments to strengthen implementation of the Baby- Friendly Hospital Initiative, enforce regulations on breast milk substitute marketing, expand maternity protection and invest in community breastfeeding support programmes.
Employers, families and community leaders, he added, must also create an environment that enables mothers to breastfeed successfully.
The Paediatric Neurologist insisted that exclusive breastfeeding is not merely a maternal responsibility but a national investment capable of reducing childhood illnesses, lowering healthcare costs and strengthening Nigeria’s future human capital.
Prof Oganah-Ikujenyo Blames Culture, Poor Policies As Nigeria’s Breastfeeding Crisis Deepens
…Seeks Six-Month Maternity Leave To Reverse Nigeria’s Breastfeeding Crisis
Breastfeeding for at least 12 months could reduce a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer by between 26 and 43 per cent, Prof. Beatrice Oganah-Ikujenyo, Professor of Home Economics (Nutrition), Lagos State University of Education, Oto/Ijanikin, has said. However, Prof. Oganah-Ikujenyo warned that Nigeria’s poor exclusive breastfeeding rate is costing mothers and babies the proven health benefits of breastmilk.
The professor described the country’s exclusive breastfeeding record as “annoying and frustrating,”lamenting that the gains recorded under the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative introduced during the tenure of former health minister, Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, have failed to translate into sustained national progress.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, she attributed the poor breastfeeding rate largely to deeply rooted cultural beliefs that newborns require water and herbal mixtures in addition to breastmilk.
According to her, mothers are frequently pressured by grandmothers and other older relatives, particularly during ‘omugwo’, to abandon exclusive breastfeeding despite professional medical advice.
Oganah-Ikujenyo also identified the growing perception that formula feeding reflects affluence and modernity, while breastfeeding is considered outdated, as another factor undermining mothers’ confidence.
She further blamed workplace barriers, noting that few states provide sixmonth maternity leave and that many employers, particularly in the private sector, lack breastfeeding-friendly facilities where mothers can nurse their babies during working hours.
Poor health system support and widespread misinformation, she added, continue to worsen the situation.
The Professor of nutrition warned that infants deprived of exclusive breastfeeding face higher risks of diarrhoea caused by contaminated water or improperly prepared formula, malnutrition, weak immunity, increased illness, poor physical growth and higher infant morbidity and mortality. She explained that colostrum, the first breastmilk produced after birth, serves as a baby’s first vaccine by providing early protection against disease.
Failure to receive it, she cautioned, may also impair cognitive development, resulting in poor learning outcomes and a greater likelihood of school dropout later in life.
To reverse the trend, Oganah-Ikujenyo called for culturally sensitive community education involving husbands, grandmothers, religious and traditional leaders, alongside six-month maternity leave, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, stronger media advocacy promoting the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and continuous training of health workers to deliver consistent, evidence-based breastfeeding counselling.
She stressed that exclusive breastfeeding also helps mothers recover more quickly after childbirth, reduces feeding costs, strengthens the bond between mother and child and provides lasting protection against breast cancer.
Grandmothers, Culture Keep Seven In 10 Nigerian Babies Off Life-Saving Breast milk – Nutrition Society of Nigeria
…Professor Seeks Six-Month Maternity Leave To Save Nigeria’s Babies
Collaborating earlier views, Prof. Wasiu Afolabi of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) decried family influence, saying, entrenched cultural beliefs and weak policy implementation are keeping seven in 10 Nigerian babies from receiving exclusive breastfeeding during their first six months.
Prof Afolabi said breastfeeding decisions are rarely made by mothers alone, noting that fathers, mothers-in-law and other relatives often influence infant feeding.
In an interview with our correspondent, he explained that the widespread belief that newborns need water shortly after birth continues to undermine exclusive breastfeeding, despite its proven health benefits.
He warned that babies who miss exclusive breastfeeding face poor growth, weak immunity and increased vulnerability to infections, while long-term consequences include impaired brain development, poorer academic performance and reduced productivity in adulthood.
The Professor of nutrition also blamed inadequate government funding for nutrition, short maternity leave, the absence of workplace crèches and inconsistent breastfeeding counselling by some health workers for Nigeria’s poor breastfeeding record.
Describing colostrum as a baby’s first vaccine, Prof Afolabi, the former Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) President urged stronger implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, six-month maternity leave, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and community campaigns that engage fathers, grandmothers and traditional leaders to improve exclusive breastfeeding nationwide.
The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary foods until two years of age or beyond, describing it as a proven investment in child survival, healthy development and lifelong wellbeing.
Recall that in 2025, WHO Director- General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell urged governments to back breastfeeding with sustained funding and stronger policies, insisting that decisive action – not promises – is urgently needed to protect millions of children.
Nigeria has the world’s second-highest burden of stunted children, with 32 percent of under-five children affected. Health experts say greater investment in breastfeeding programmes could help prevent many of the lifelong health and developmental consequences associated with poor nutrition.
In 2018, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reissued their Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, urging health facilities to become Baby-Friendly centres. They maintain that sustained funding and implementation are essential to ensure every child receives optimal nutrition from birth.
Collaborating, Lafoucriere stressed that reversing the trend requires collective action, urging employers to provide time and privacy for breastfeeding, health workers to ensure every newborn is breastfed within the first hour of life, and families to encourage rather than discourage nursing mothers.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Lagos, also paid tribute to mothers breastfeeding through the quiet hours of the night, describing their commitment as the first and greatest gift they can give their children.
Lafoucriere reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with government and partners to ensure every Nigerian baby receives breastmilk’s life-saving protection.
The federal and state governments must move beyond declarations by adequately funding breastfeeding programmes, enforcing Baby-Friendly Hospital standards, extending maternity protection and creating policies that enable every mother to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months.
Nigeria cannot afford to keep losing millions of babies to preventable health risks because mothers lack support. Investing in breastfeeding is an investment in healthier children, stronger families and the nation’s future human capital.
