Amby Uneze in Owerri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised serious concern over the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria, revealing that two out of every three Nigerian children are not exclusively breastfed and risk malnourished despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the practice is critical to child survival, physical growth, cognitive reasoning, brain development and immune system strengthening.
Worried by this scenario, the global body, challenged journalists and media organisations to take the lead in championing accurate and sustained advocacy on breastfeeding, describing the media as a strategic partner in changing public attitudes, influencing policies and encouraging mothers and families to embrace optimal infant feeding practices.
The call was made Thursday at a two-day Zonal Media Dialogue on the Dissemination of Key Advocacy Messages for the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week scheduled from August 1 to 7, 2026 with the theme “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.”
The dialogue was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA), with support from the United States Mission in Nigeria, Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), Gates Foundation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In his welcome address, the Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Dr. Hilary Ozoh, described breastfeeding as one of the most effective and cost-efficient investments any nation can make in securing the future of its children.
He said that breastfeeding provides infants with the best possible start in life by strengthening immunity, improving cognitive development, reducing childhood illnesses and enhancing maternal health, while also contributing significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to health, nutrition, education and poverty reduction.
Dr. Ozoh, however, lamented that many mothers still face significant barriers to exclusive breastfeeding due to misinformation, harmful cultural beliefs, inadequate workplace support and inconsistent public messaging.
He said "despite the overwhelming evidence supporting breastfeeding, many families continue to face barriers arising from misinformation, harmful social norms, inadequate workplace support and inconsistent public messaging. Addressing these challenges requires collective action, and the media has a unique and indispensable role to play.”
He charged journalists to go beyond simple reporting of events and become advocates capable of shaping public opinion and influencing behavioural change.
“The media is not merely a channel for information dissemination; it is a powerful partner in shaping public opinion, influencing policy, amplifying evidence-based messages and inspiring positive behaviour change. Through accurate, consistent and compelling storytelling, journalists can help create an enabling environment where mothers, families and communities make informed decisions about infant and young child feeding,” he added.
Dr. Ozoh explained that the dialogue was designed to equip media practitioners with current scientific evidence, harmonised advocacy messages and practical communication skills that would improve the quality of breastfeeding reportage during the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week and beyond.
He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to collaborating with governments, civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners and the media to promote policies and programmes that support optimal breastfeeding practices.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State, Francis Nwubani, represented by the UNICEF Desk Officer, Mr. Nkpa Okezie, reaffirmed BCA’s long-standing partnership with UNICEF stressing “we are solidly behind UNICEF on this programme and support exclusive breastfeeding at all times," while urging participants to take the meeting seriously in order to better the lives of the new born babies.
Earlier, UNICEF Communication Officer, Enugu Field Office, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, outlined the objectives of the media dialogue, saying it was aimed at harmonising advocacy messages for the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week in line with the guidelines of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).
She said the programme would strengthen the capacity of journalists to accurately report evidence-based information on breastfeeding, infant and young child feeding, maternal nutrition and child survival while fostering strategic partnerships among the media, governments and development partners.
According to her, participants were also expected to develop state-specific media action plans for Benue, Cross River, Enugu and Imo states that would sustain breastfeeding advocacy beyond the annual campaign.
Delivering a presentation titled “Leveraging Media for Advocacy on Infant and Young Child Feeding, Survival and Development: Strengthening What Works for Good Breastfeeding Practices,” Public Health Physician and Consultant at the Department of Community Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Dr. Chikezie Obasi, urged journalists to see breastfeeding advocacy as a social responsibility.
He called on media practitioners to consistently promote the recommendations of UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, which encourage mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, practise exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and thereafter introduce safe complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
According to Obasi, exclusive breastfeeding remains one of the most effective strategies for improving child survival, strengthening immunity, supporting healthy growth and reducing avoidable healthcare costs, while contributing to the development of a healthier and more productive population.
In her extensive presentation, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Ngozi Onuora, painted a worrying picture of breastfeeding practices in Nigeria.
She disclosed that two out of every three Nigerian children are not exclusively breastfed, warning that although early initiation of breastfeeding has improved, the overall rate of exclusive breastfeeding remains far below national targets.
“Two out of three children are not exclusively breastfed,” she stated, adding that many mothers discontinue exclusive breastfeeding because of poor family support, misinformation, workplace barriers, aggressive marketing of breast-milk substitutes and inadequate counselling.
Mrs. Onuora described the media as indispensable partners in reversing the trend and improving child nutrition outcomes across the country.
“Media are critical partners in improving breastfeeding outcomes,” she said, urging journalists to increase evidence-based reporting, amplify success stories and sustain public education campaigns capable of encouraging more families to adopt optimal breastfeeding practices.
Participants at the dialogue included journalists, officials of the Ministries of Health and Information and nutrition focal persons from Benue, Cross River, Enugu and Imo states.
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