World Breastfeeding Day: 1,800 mothers gather to breastfeed babies in Niger

At least 1,800 breast feeding mothers gathered from the 25 local government areas of Niger State to breastfeed their babies simultaneously to commemorate the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week in the state.

The event was organised by Niger State Ministry for Primary Healthcare in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Minna, the state capital.

The UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Kaduna, Gerida Birukila, in her remarks, said the event titled, ‘Closing the Gap: Break the Record, Break Barriers: Breastfeeding Support for All’, was part of efforts to promote the importance of exclusive breastfeeding among women.

Birukila, who was represented by Mrs Grace Odeyemi, UNICEF Consultant in Niger State, explained that the event was an attempt to break the world record for the highest number of lactating women breastfeeding simultaneously.

“We are not just gathered to break a world record, we are here to make history and send a powerful message to the world on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding,” Birukila said.

She lamented that despite efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding, the rates had remained low at 16 per cent, according to Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICs 2021).

“Many mothers face cultural, social, and practical barriers that prevent them from breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of their babies lives”

“Hence the event was targeted at breaking barriers that hinders them from practicing exclusive breastfeeding and creates awareness on the importance of breastfeeding.

“The effort was to achieve the World Health Assembly’s target for exclusive breastfeeding and go beyond 50 per cent target,” she noted.

Also speaking at the event, Hajiya Fatima Bago, Wife of Niger State governor, emphasized the need for relevant authorities to provide support through education, resources or breastfeeding friendly working environment for mothers in the state and the nation at large.

The First Lady, who spoke through the Wife of Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Hajiya Jummai Abubakar, announced the donation of 100 bags of rice to the first batch of 100 women to support them and their families.

Similarly, the state Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, Dr. Bello Turkur, explained that the programme was organized to show the importance of giving more support to mothers to improve the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in the state.