By Lizzy Carr
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has expressed concern that only 34 out of every 100 babies in Nigeria are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, translating to a 34% compliance rate—well below the 50% benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In commemoration of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, the State Coordinator of NAFDAC in Bauchi, Hamis Yahaya, reiterated the agency’s call for the establishment of crèches in both public and private workplaces. He stressed that workplace support systems are critical in enabling nursing mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding while on the job.
“Though there is an improvement from previous years, there is need to sustain advocacy and enlightenment on the need to make our workplaces friendly for nursing mothers,” Yahaya stated during an interview in his office.
He emphasized that the 2025 theme “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems” aligns with NAFDAC’s ongoing advocacy to institutionalize breastfeeding-friendly systems across sectors.
NAFDAC, he said, is mandated to advocate and monitor adherence to the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The goal, he noted, is to ensure infants are exclusively breastfed from birth to six months before complementary feeding is introduced.
“One of the provisions of the code is to ensure we advocate and discourage the use of what we call breast milk substitutes during the first six months,” he added.
Yahaya described breast milk as the first immunization a child receives, noting its essential role in boosting immunity, promoting healthy growth, and fostering a mother-child bond. He further encouraged mothers who are able to continue breastfeeding up to two years to do so, as it also aids in birth spacing.
“Exclusive breastfeeding creates an environment that is not susceptible to contamination. The first milk—colostrum—confers immunity and contains all the nutrients required for proper development between birth and six months,” he said.
He also highlighted the maternal benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, explaining that early initiation—within the first hour of birth—stimulates hormones that help stop postpartum hemorrhage and contribute to faster maternal recovery.
Yahaya revealed that NAFDAC has a functional technical committee made up of stakeholders who routinely visit health facilities, pharmaceutical outlets, orphanages, and supermarkets to monitor, advocate, and ensure compliance with breastfeeding promotion regulations.
“We have noticed that marketers of breast milk substitutes offer incentives to health care workers and pregnant women to promote their products. But the agency is determined to stop this through continuous monitoring, and anyone found wanting will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying awareness campaigns and working collaboratively with civil society organizations and government stakeholders to promote exclusive breastfeeding across Nigeria.
