By Lizzy Carr
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised concern over Nigeria’s low exclusive breastfeeding rate, revealing that only 34 out of every 100 babies are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life. This represents a 34% compliance rate—far below the 50% benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As part of activities marking the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, the Bauchi State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Hamis Yahaya, renewed the agency’s call for the establishment of crèches in both public and private workplaces. He emphasized that workplace support systems are essential to enable nursing mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding while fulfilling their professional duties.
“Though there has been improvement over the years, we must sustain advocacy and awareness on the need to make workplaces more accommodating for nursing mothers,” Yahaya stated during an interview in his office.
He noted that the 2025 theme—“Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems”—aligns with NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to institutionalize breastfeeding-friendly environments across various sectors.
Yahaya explained that NAFDAC is mandated to promote and enforce adherence to the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The agency’s objective is to ensure infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life before the introduction of complementary feeding.
“One of the key provisions of the Code is to discourage the use of breast milk substitutes during the first six months and advocate for exclusive breastfeeding,” he said.
He described breast milk as the first immunization a child receives, citing its vital role in boosting immunity, supporting healthy growth, and strengthening the mother-child bond. Yahaya encouraged mothers to continue breastfeeding up to two years where possible, noting its added benefit in promoting natural birth spacing.
“Exclusive breastfeeding creates a safe and uncontaminated environment for the child. The first milk—colostrum—provides immunity and all the nutrients a baby needs for optimal development between birth and six months,” he said.
Yahaya also outlined the health benefits for mothers, stressing that early initiation of breastfeeding—within the first hour of birth—helps trigger hormones that prevent postpartum hemorrhage and support quicker maternal recovery.
He revealed that NAFDAC has an active technical committee made up of stakeholders who routinely visit health facilities, pharmacies, orphanages, and supermarkets to advocate for and monitor compliance with breastfeeding regulations.
“We have observed that some marketers of breast milk substitutes offer incentives to healthcare workers and pregnant women to promote their products. The agency is determined to curb this practice through continuous monitoring, and violators will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
Yahaya reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ramping up public awareness campaigns and working collaboratively with civil society organizations and government partners to promote exclusive breastfeeding nationwide.
