By Christy Tamai
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in collaboration with the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, has joined Nigeria and the global community in commemorating the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, reaffirming its commitment to promoting exclusive breastfeeding as a foundation for healthier children, stronger families, and sustainable national development.
Speaking during the event, the Deputy Director (In Charge) of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, Joseph Edor, explained that the week-long celebration, observed annually from August 1 to 7, is themed “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.” According to him, the campaign calls on governments, healthcare providers, communities, and families to strengthen proven strategies that enable mothers to initiate and sustain breastfeeding successfully.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director and State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dr. Obida Musa Gwary, emphasized that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life provides infants with the essential nutrients required for healthy growth and development, strengthens their immune systems, and protects them against common childhood illnesses. He added that breastfeeding also offers significant health benefits for mothers, including improved maternal well-being and a reduced risk of certain diseases.
He urged mothers, caregivers, health workers, and community leaders to work together in creating supportive environments that encourage breastfeeding at home, in health facilities, and in workplaces. Dr. Gwary further reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to enforcing regulations that protect breastfeeding by promoting safe infant feeding practices and discouraging the inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes.
NAFDAC also called on Nigerians to use the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week as an opportunity to increase awareness of the lifelong benefits of breastfeeding and to support policies and programmes that improve maternal and child nutrition across the country.
The Director of Nutrition at the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, Tongmor Dabis, said the Board is collaborating closely with NAFDAC because the agency regulates food products, including breast milk substitutes, to ensure they meet safety and quality standards.
World Breastfeeding Week is observed globally every year from August 1 to 7 under the coordination of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project, and other partners. The annual campaign promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life as one of the most effective interventions for improving child survival and health, followed by the introduction of safe and appropriate complementary feeding.
The highlight of the celebration was a road walk from Old Airport Road to Secretariat Junction in Jos, during which participants sensitized members of the public on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life. Organizers disclosed that the awareness campaign would also be extended to hospitals across the State.
