Only 35.5 per cent of Nigerian newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Busiku, disclosed this in Maiduguri on Saturday at the flag-off of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week. He also revealed that just 28.8 per cent of babies in the country are exclusively breastfed.
Busiku said this year’s theme, “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support System”, calls attention to the need for deliberate action to ensure women—especially in rural and conflict-affected areas—get the support they need to breastfeed.
He warned against the rising use of infant formula and unsafe water, saying it endangers the health of babies.
“The use of breast milk substitutes and unsafe water in our communities can pose serious risks to the health of infants,” he said. “It is therefore critical that the state enacts, enforces, and monitors the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes to protect children and promote breastfeeding.”
Busiku stressed that breast milk alone gives babies all the nutrients they need in their first six months and shields them from illness.
He called on the Borno State government and other stakeholders to strengthen maternal protection policies, boost funding, revive baby-friendly practices, and prioritise nutrition programs at the community level.
“Together, through strategic partnerships, innovative approaches, and sustained commitment, we can transform breastfeeding practices across Borno state,” he said. “UNICEF remains steadfast in its support to the government and partners in this vital vision.”
