The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Kaduna State Government for adopting a six-month paid maternity leave policy and promoting breastfeeding-friendly workplaces to improve maternal and child nutrition.
The UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Kaduna Field Office, Mrs. Chinwe Ezeife, gave the commendation during a press briefing to mark the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week in Kaduna.
Mrs. Ezeife said UNICEF, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government and other partners, is using this year’s celebration to strengthen the First 1,000 Days Initiative, which spans the period from conception until a child reaches two years of age.
She explained that the initiative promotes evidence-based interventions aimed at improving children’s health, nutrition and overall development while reinforcing strategies that have already produced positive results in Kaduna State.
According to her, the six-month paid maternity leave policy is a major milestone in promoting exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, while the launch of the First 1,000 Days Social and Behaviour Change Initiative for Nutrition will encourage families, communities and workplaces to provide greater support for breastfeeding mothers.
Mrs. Ezeife also applauded the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission for establishing a crèche and deploying caregivers to support working mothers, noting that breastfeeding-friendly workplaces enable mothers to continue breastfeeding after resuming work.
She reiterated the importance of initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth, practising exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months without water or other foods, and continuing breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary feeding until a child is at least two years old.
The UNICEF Nutrition Specialist stressed the importance of good maternal nutrition before conception, during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period, adding that healthcare workers in Kaduna State have been trained on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition to strengthen counselling and infant feeding practices.
Mrs. Ezeife expressed optimism that Kaduna State would improve on the breastfeeding indicators recorded in the 2023/2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, adding that mothers who deliver between August 1 and 7 are being monitored to assess early initiation of breastfeeding as part of activities marking this year’s celebration.
Speaking at the briefing, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Umma K. Ahmed, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving maternal, newborn and child nutrition through sustained investment in breastfeeding promotion and support across the state.
Dr. Umma Ahmed described this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” as a reminder that breastfeeding remains one of the most effective and affordable interventions for improving child survival, nutrition and overall development.
She said the Kaduna State Government would continue to strengthen maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition services across the 23 local government areas through programmes that promote Infant and Young Child Feeding, Baby-Friendly health facilities, maternal nutrition, community nutrition services and continuous capacity building for healthcare workers.
Some stakeholders at the event also advocated greater support for breastfeeding mothers, urging husbands to provide balanced diets, emotional encouragement and other forms of physical and mental support to enhance the health and well-being of mothers and their children.
Adamu Yusuf
