Approximately two out of every three Nigerian women do not exclusively breastfeed their babies up to six months.
A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says whereas 90% of new mothers in Nigeria breastfeed during the early stages of motherhood, slightly over a third (34%) do so for at least six months.
On Tuesday, UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria Nemat Hajeebhoy said that the statistics were recorded in 2022.
Despite a few women breastfeeding their babies for at least six months, the number is an improvement compared with 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, the fraction of women that exclusively breastfed their children up to the recommended six-month period were 19%, and 29% in 2021.
Societal support
Hajeebhoy, who spoke in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, has urged support for new mothers to ensure that they exclusively breastfeed their children for at least six months.
The UNICEF representative asked employers, the new mothers’ partners and even the government to facilitate exclusive breastfeeding through beneficial arrangements and policies.
“What we need to do more, is to help mothers feed their babies within the first six months. We can to that by helping mothers to feed well and ensuring that they have time to breastfeed their babies,” Hajeebhoy said.
Exclusive breastfeeding means feeding your baby breast milk only, not any other foods or liquids, except for medications or vitamin and mineral supplements.
Nigeria’s statistics are below global average
The World Health Organization recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants during the child's first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health.
The babies should, thereafter, be given nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond.
The WHO says only 44% of infants under six months of age globally are exclusively breastfed.
