The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on governments, employers, communities and families to strengthen support for breastfeeding mothers by adopting family-friendly workplace policies, including six months of paid maternity leave, flexible work schedules, breastfeeding breaks, private lactation rooms and facilities for safely storing expressed breast milk.
The Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Mr. Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, made the call during the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week road walk held in Kano.
He noted that many women return to work shortly after childbirth, making it difficult to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended first six months of life.
According to him, only 14 states in Nigeria currently provide six months of paid maternity leave, a policy that enables mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies during the critical early months.
Mr. Ur-Rehman urged the remaining 22 states, including Kano, Jigawa and Katsina, to adopt and implement similar policies to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Describing breastfeeding as “the wise choice for every child, every mother and every nation,” he said although more than 90 per cent of Nigerian mothers breastfeed their children, optimal breastfeeding practices remain low.
He cited the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which showed that fewer than one in ten newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, while only about one in ten infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.
Speaking on this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” Mr. Ur-Rehman described breast milk as the most sustainable food for infants and a child’s first vaccine against disease, malnutrition and preventable deaths.
Mr. Ur-Rehman reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with the Federal and State Governments and development partners to ensure every Nigerian child survives, thrives and reaches their full potential.
Also speaking, the Kano State Nutrition Officer, Aishatu Sulaiman, said the campaign seeks to promote exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding up to two years of age.
She explained that breast milk provides all the nutrients required for a baby’s healthy growth, strengthens the immune system and plays a critical role in preventing malnutrition.
Aishatu urged mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding, describing it as one of the most effective and affordable interventions for improving child survival and development.
The road walk attracted a large turnout of government officials, development partners, healthcare workers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
KHADIJAH ALIYU
