Lagos State has achieved a significant milestone in child nutrition by recording a 57.4% exclusive breastfeeding rate, surpassing the global benchmark of 50%.
The announcement was made during a press briefing on Tuesday to launch the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, themed “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems.”
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, hailed the achievement as a reflection of the state’s dedication to improving maternal and child health.
She, however, raised concerns over the low rate of early initiation of breastfeeding—defined as placing a newborn on the breast within the first hour after birth—which stands at just 14% in the state.
According to Dr. Ogunyemi, early breastfeeding is crucial because colostrum, the first milk produced, is rich in antibodies essential for a newborn’s immunity.
Unfortunately, harmful practices such as the use of pre-lacteal feeds, including glucose water and infant formula, continue to hinder optimal breastfeeding outcomes.
To counter these practices, Lagos has intensified the training of midwives and traditional birth attendants to promote immediate breastfeeding after delivery.
In addition, the state has introduced structural support measures, including a six-month paid maternity leave and a two-week paternity leave for public sector workers during the first two deliveries. Dr. Ogunyemi urged private sector employers to adopt similar policies to support working families and promote healthier child development.
She described breastfeeding not only as a maternal responsibility but as a powerful public health, economic, and developmental strategy.
The Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, also underscored the cost-effectiveness of breastfeeding. In the current economic climate, she said, exclusive breastfeeding remains the most accessible and safest form of infant nutrition.
She dismissed common myths, stressing that breastfeeding does not cause sagging breasts and may even help protect mothers from breast cancer. She called on the media to play a greater role in dispelling misinformation.
Founder of the Child Health Advocacy Initiative (CHAI) and UN Nutrition Champion for Nigeria, Dr. Lola Alonge, praised Lagos for being a pioneer in adopting family-friendly breastfeeding policies. She noted that Lagos was the first state in Nigeria to implement six-month paid maternity leave and two-week paternity leave over a decade ago—a model now adopted by only a handful of other states.
Dr. Alonge commended the government’s continued investment in healthcare infrastructure, including 334 Primary Health Centres and over 20 Mother and Child Centres equipped with neonatal intensive care units and paediatric specialists.
These centres have been instrumental in providing antenatal education and preparing mothers for successful breastfeeding.
World Breastfeeding Week, observed globally from August 1 to 7, serves as an annual campaign to promote breastfeeding and highlight its benefits for infant and maternal health.
