The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on governments, employers, communities, and families to strengthen support for breastfeeding mothers by adopting family-friendly workplace policies.

The Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, made the call during a road walk organised to commemorate the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week in Kano on Thursday.

Mr Ur-Rehman said such policies should include six months of paid maternity leave, flexible working arrangements, breastfeeding breaks, private lactation spaces, and facilities for the safe storage of expressed breast milk.

He noted that many women return to work shortly after childbirth, making it difficult for them to practise exclusive breastfeeding during the recommended first six months of a child’s life.

According to him, only 14 states in Nigeria currently provide six months of paid maternity leave.

“The policy enables mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies during the critical early stages of development,” he said.

He urged the remaining 22 states, including Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina, to adopt and implement similar policies to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

“Breastfeeding is the wise choice for every child, every mother, and every nation,” Mr Ur-Rehman said.

He, however, expressed concern that despite more than 90 per cent of Nigerian mothers breastfeeding their children, optimal breastfeeding practices remain low.

Citing the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), he said less than one in 10 newborns were breastfed within the first hour of birth, while only about one in 10 infants were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s celebration, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” the UNICEF official described breast milk as the most sustainable food for infants and a child’s first vaccine against diseases, malnutrition, and preventable deaths.

Mr Ur-Rehman reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with the federal and state governments, as well as development partners, to ensure that every Nigerian child survives, thrives, and reaches their full potential.

On her part, the Kano State Nutrition Officer, Aishatu Sulaiman, said the campaign was aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months, and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding up to two years.

“Breast milk contains all the nutrients required for a baby’s healthy growth, strengthens the immune system, and helps prevent malnutrition,” she said.

Ms Aishatu urged mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding, describing it as one of the most effective and affordable interventions for improving child survival and development.

The road walk attracted government officials, development partners, healthcare workers, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders. 

(NAN)