“Breast milk is all a baby needs for the first six months; no substitutes compare.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says only one out of every three babies in Nigeria is exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.
UNICEF’s Chief of Enugu Field Office, Juliet Chiluwe, disclosed this on Thursday during a virtual press briefing in Owerri as part of activities marking the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, observed from August 1 to 7. This year’s theme is “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems.”
Chiluwe described breastfeeding as “a cornerstone of child survival, growth and healthy development,” stressing the need for systems that support mothers to breastfeed. She praised the 10 states that have extended paid maternity leave to six months, saying it would “reduce the pressure on lactating mothers to return to work.”
“Breast milk is all a baby needs for the first six months; no substitutes compare,” she said, calling for breastfeeding corners in workplaces. UNICEF’s Dr Hillary Ozor urged the media to champion breastfeeding awareness.