Niger State and UNICEF Urge Women to Promote Breastfeeding

The Niger State Government and UNICEF have called on women in the state to promote exclusive breastfeeding.

They believe this will help families raise healthy children and give babies a good start in life.

This message was shared in Minna during the recent World Breastfeeding Week for 2026. The government noted that Niger State has not yet reached the national average for exclusive breastfeeding, which is 56 percent.

To raise awareness, the government and UNICEF organized a road walk to mark the week. Participants walked from the Kuta Memorial Primary Healthcare Centre on Airport Road to the Obasanjo complex, despite heavy rain.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the event focused on educating women about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, especially during the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life. Daniel Jiya, the Director of Food and Drugs at the Niger State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, led the walk. He told reporters that the goal of World Breastfeeding Week is to stress the importance of breastfeeding for newborns.

Jiya said, "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.’

"The exclusive breastfeeding celebration aims to educate mothers and breastfeeding women about the importance of breastfeeding for six months without giving anything else.

"During this time, we advise women not to provide anything apart from breast milk. This milk is rich and has all the nutrients and liquids that the child needs.

"We expect these children to be fed with breast milk from birth to six months. This ensures they get the necessary development because breast milk is full of vitamins, proteins, and antibodies for healthy growth,” Jiya added.

He also highlighted the day's activities, saying, "We started with the road walk, which was blessed by the rain. On Monday, we will have the flag-off by the wife of the farmer governor. After that, there will be many activities to support women during childbirth and ensure they breastfeed their babies at least one hour after delivery.

"The rate of compliance is difficult to measure. From our data, compliance in Niger is high, with breastfeeding rates at about 49 percent. We have not reached the national average yet, but we are working hard to get there. This is part of why we are holding this awareness program. The national average is 56 percent,” Jiya explained.

Jiya urged breastfeeding mothers to start breastfeeding from day one and continue for the first 1,000 days. He also mentioned that UNICEF and the United States government support this campaign in Niger State.