The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) has shown that just 35.5 per cent of children born in the two years preceding the survey were put to the breast within one hour of birth.
At the same time, only 12.4 per cent of children aged six to 23 months were fed from at least five of the eight recommended minimum dietary diversity. The findings raise serious concerns about the country’s progress on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) standards and its implications for child survival and development.
The report also reveals that exclusive breastfeeding among children aged 0-5 months, with a sample size of 2,734, stands at 28.8 per cent.
According to the trend figure in the report, exclusive breastfeeding has improved from about two per cent in 1990 to around 29 per cent in 2018 and remains near that level in 2023-24.
These figures are f
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