The Jigawa State office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has encouraged mothers across the state to adopt proper breastfeeding practices, describing it as essential for children’s survival, healthy growth and development during their early months.
The state coordinator of the agency, Mansur Abubakar, gave the advice on Friday in Dutse while marking the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, themed “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.” He said NAFDAC, in partnership with the Breast Milk Substitutes multisectoral technical committee, carried out public awareness campaigns through radio programmes and community engagements to educate residents on the benefits of breastfeeding.
Abubakar explained that the sensitisation programmes were delivered in major local languages to reach more people at the grassroots level. He added that NAFDAC’s Breast Milk Substitutes unit and the Jigawa chapter of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives also educated communities on breastfeeding benefits, the agency’s responsibilities, and the international regulations guiding the marketing of breast milk substitutes.
He noted that the campaigns highlighted the dangers of failing to breastfeed children and provided opportunities for members of the public to ask questions and receive professional guidance on the practice.