By ebosele@hotmail.com –
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has called for stronger collaboration among governments, healthcare providers, employers, families and other stakeholders to promote effective breastfeeding practices as part of efforts to improve child health and development in Nigeria.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during the hospital’s commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, organised by the Paediatric Department of LUTH in Lagos. The event was themed “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.”
Speaking at the event, the Director of Nursing Hospital Services, LUTH, Mrs. Akinola Olajumoke, said the programme was aimed at educating healthcare workers, mothers, families and the general public on the importance of breastfeeding and the nutritional value of breast milk.
Representing the LUTH management, Olajumoke highlighted the achievements of the hospital’s Baby-Friendly Initiative since its introduction in 1991, noting that it has contributed significantly to raising healthier children.
She commended the Federal Government’s maternity and paternity leave policy, saying it has enhanced breastfeeding practices among working families.
According to her, female staff who give birth are entitled to six months’ maternity leave with full pay, while fathers receive 14 days’ paternity leave with pay.
She said the policy has contributed to healthier babies, adding that the hospital encourages breastfeeding from delivery through postnatal care by providing continuous support and counselling for nursing mothers.
The Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Prof. Ademola Oremosu, described breastfeeding as vital to child survival and development, urging families, organisations, policymakers and the wider public to provide the support needed for successful breastfeeding.
Represented by the Deputy Provost, Prof. Daniel Odebiyi, Oremosu also called on governments to strengthen breastfeeding programmes and ensure both mothers and babies receive adequate education and support.
Delivering the keynote address, Consultant Paediatrician at LUTH, Prof. Abiola Oduwole, described breastfeeding as a powerful foundation for lifelong health, growth and sustainable development.
She stressed that governments must protect breastfeeding by creating policies that discourage unnecessary dependence on breast milk substitutes while providing flexible working arrangements, particularly for women in the private sector.
Oduwole disclosed that only 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states have adopted the Baby-Friendly Initiative, with Lagos among the early adopters.
She advocated the extension of six months’ paid maternity leave to all states and the private sector, noting that the policy provides mothers with sufficient time to exclusively breastfeed and care for their infants.
“For every safe delivery where the mother is alive, healthy and lactating well, there is no reason whatsoever to go for formula or breast milk substitutes,” she said.
She also encouraged mothers to adopt the “1:6:24” breastfeeding approach by initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, and continuing breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding for up to 24 months.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Edamisan Temiye, emphasised the importance of preparing expectant mothers for breastfeeding before delivery, noting that early and consistent breastfeeding is essential to maintaining milk production.
The event also featured a panel discussion involving paediatricians, dieticians, nursing mothers and other healthcare professionals, who examined common myths surrounding breastfeeding in Nigeria and proposed practical measures to improve awareness and breastfeeding practices nationwide.
