BREASTFEEDING WEEK: LAGOS REPORTS 57.4% EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING

The Lagos State Government says it has recorded a significant milestone in child nutrition with its exclusive breastfeeding rate rising to fifty-seven-point-four percent. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Doctor KEMI OGUNYEMI, said the record is higher than the fifty percent benchmark that was set for the period under review. Doctor OGUNYEMI, however, said Lagos has a fourteen percent low rate of early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, which poses serious implications for neonatal health. OGUNYEMI, who made the revelation during a media briefing in Ikeja to flag off the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, said the state government was working seriously to address the lapses. She said that the low rate of early initiation of babies to breastfeeding within was primarily due to gaps in service delivery, misinformation, and the use of glucose water and infant formula. Considering this year’s team, Doctor KEMI OGUNYEMI said the focus is not just on promoting breastfeeding but ensuring that mothers have the social, institutional and workplace support they need.