91% of Nigeria’s workplaces have no breastfeeding policy, says UNICEF

SCI advocates exclusive breastfeeding in babies’ first six months
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said only nine per cent of Nigerian organisations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, even as an unsuitable environment continues to hinder a larger percentage of breastfeeding mothers.

Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week, noted that women make up 20 million out of the 46 million workforce strength in Nigeria, adding that 95 per cent are in the informal sector, while the formal sector employs only five per cent.

“Shockingly, only nine per cent of organisations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, with only 1.5 per cent in the public sector. Women in the informal sector have nearly no support for breastfeeding,” she said.

Munduate said breast milk is not just a super food and vaccine, but also a smart investment. She said global analysis reveals that elevating rates of exclusive breastfeeding could save the lives of 820,000 children under the age of five yearly, generating an additional income of $302 billion.

In Nigeria, she said improved breastfeeding practices could save over 100,000 children’s lives each year, save $22 million in health care treatment costs related to inadequate breastfeeding, and generate an additional $21 billion for the economy over children’s productive years, by increasing cognitive capacity and preventing premature mortality in early years.

She said: “It is imperative to highlight the significance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of children, mothers, and society at large. Breast milk is the first vaccine and the first food every child receives at birth.

“Breastfeeding stands as a crucial pillar in safeguarding infants against life-threatening infections, supporting optimal brain development in children, and reducing incidence of chronic childhood and maternal illnesses, ultimately lowering healthcare costs.

“There is evidence today that every N1,000 invested in supporting breastfeeding can yield an estimated N35,000 in economic returns for Nigeria.”

Also, Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria, Famari Barro, said: “Children across Nigeria must be fed well, solely on exclusive breast milk for the first six months of their lives. In an emergency context, breastfeeding saves lives. When systems are disrupted, breastfeeding continues to offer nutrition security, hydration, comfort, connection, and protects babies from infectious diseases.

Nigeria needs to rise up to the call for better breastfeeding friendly environments, both for urban and rural settings.”