The Nigerian Government has launched the First 1,000 Days of Life Nutrition, Social and Behaviour Change Campaign, aimed at tackling child malnutrition and improving infant survival through increased exclusive breastfeeding and better maternal nutrition.
The campaign was unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare during a press briefing in Abuja to mark the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week.
Speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, described exclusive breastfeeding during a child’s first 1,000 days as one of the most effective investments in securing healthier children and stronger communities.
“Breastfeeding is a life-saving intervention and one of the smartest investments for building healthier children, stronger families and resilient communities,” she said.
Kachollom warned against the practice of giving newborn babies water or honey instead of colostrum, the antibody-rich first milk produced after childbirth, stressing that it provides essential protection against infections.
She expressed concern over Nigeria’s low exclusive breastfeeding rate, revealing that although about 95 per cent of mothers breastfeed, only 29 per cent exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months, while just 36 per cent begin breastfeeding within one hour after delivery.
According to her, only 21 states have approved six months of paid maternity leave, highlighting the need for nationwide adoption of family-friendly workplace policies that support nursing mothers.
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The Permanent Secretary said the government would strengthen implementation of the National Maternal Strategy, enforce regulations on the marketing of breast milk substitutes and expand Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives across primary healthcare facilities nationwide.
She also encouraged families to improve household nutrition by cultivating home gardens and making greater use of locally available nutritious foods such as amaranth, tom- brown, plantain flour and sweet potatoes.
Kachollom further urged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics and ensure their children receive routine immunisation, noting that community participation remains essential to improving child nutrition.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Anwukah, described breastfeeding as one of the world’s most effective public health interventions, saying it should be regarded as a national development priority rather than a personal choice.
“Every Nigerian mother, regardless of where she lives, deserves equal access to breastfeeding support, counselling and accurate nutrition information,” she said.
Anwukah called for the expansion of the newly launched campaign to all 774 local government areas through the Nutrition 774 initiative and urged employers to create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces.
She reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to policies that support maternal and child health, noting that healthier children contribute to stronger national development.
The World Health Organization’s Nigeria Team Lead for Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, Mya Ngon, commended the government for ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health through breastfeeding promotion and the revitalisation of Baby-Friendly Hospitals.
She, however, said additional efforts were required to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates nationwide.
Ngon cited evidence showing that breastfeeding counselling could increase exclusive breastfeeding by 58 per cent, while Baby-Friendly Hospital programmes could improve breastfeeding outcomes by as much as 45 per cent.
She called for stronger legislation to protect breastfeeding, increased investment in nutrition programmes and expanded support for families and health workers.
Also speaking, UNICEF Representative Rownak Khan described breast milk as a child’s “first vaccine” against disease, malnutrition and preventable deaths.
He said greater investment in breastfeeding could save billions of dollars globally each year by reducing maternal and child deaths while improving children’s physical and cognitive development.
Khan urged governments, employers, religious and traditional leaders, healthcare workers and the media to work together to promote breastfeeding, improve maternal nutrition and create an enabling environment that gives every Nigerian child the healthiest possible start in life.
