Niger State and UNICEF Champion Exclusive Breastfeeding for Healthy Children

The Niger State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is intensifying efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding among women in the state. Officials emphasize that this practice is crucial for raising healthy children and providing them with a strong start in life.

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We are here to celebrate and commemorate the 2026 World breastfeeding week. The theme for this is ‘Exclusive Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthening What Works.’

Currently, Niger State has not reached the national average for exclusive breastfeeding, which stands at an estimated 56 percent. To address this, the government and UNICEF organized a sensitization campaign, including a road walk, to highlight the importance of breastfeeding, particularly during the critical first 1000 days of a child's life.

Daniel Jiya, Director of Food and Drugs at the Niger State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, led the road walk. He stressed that breast milk provides all the necessary nutrients and hydration a baby needs for healthy growth. Jiya urged mothers to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months, as breast milk is rich in vitamins, proteins, and antibodies essential for a child's development and well-being.

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Exclusive breastfeeding celebration is to sensitise our mothers and breastfeeding mothers on the importance and significance of exclusively breastfeeding our babies and our children for six months.

The campaign, themed 'Exclusive Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthening What Works,' aims to educate mothers on the significance of this practice. The road walk, despite heavy rain, saw enthusiastic participation, signaling a community commitment to improving infant health outcomes through breastfeeding.

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During those periods of exclusive breastfeeding we sensitise women not to give anything apart from the breast milk because the breastfeeding milk is rich and sufficient in all the nutrient that the child will need.