National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy.

This National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding is a nationwide sectoral document representing an integral part of the overall objective of ensuring the socio-economic well-being of all Nigerians. The overall goal of the Policy is to ensure the optimal growth, protection and development of the Nigerian child from birth to the first five years of life.
To achieve the main goal, a number of specific objectives are set out, namely (i) to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life; (ii) to create and sustain a positive image for breastfeeding throughout the society; (iii) to empower all women to adopt and practice optimal infant feeding; (iv) to promote the timely introduction of appropriate and adequate complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding up to 24 months and beyond; (v) to ensure the provision of specific feeding recommendations for all infants and young children irrespective of their circumstances of birth and health status; (vi) to promote the provision of appropriate information for nutrition counseling and support for households in the prevention of malnutrition in children; (vii) To develop and strengthen activities that will protect, promote and support adequate infant and young child feeding practices; (viii) to raise awareness on issues affecting infant and young child feeding in Nigeria; (ix) to support and enhance the provision of an enabling environment without any form of discrimination for working mothers, fathers and other care-givers those in part- time and domestic occupation to practice optimal infant and young child feeding; (x) To promote the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensure HIV-free survival through appropriate and safe measures that ensure optimal infant and young child feeding; (xi) To ensure that health workers and other care providers have adequate skills and information to support optimal infant and young child feeding, including in emergency situation; and (xii) to support and enhance the national capacity to address issues of infant and young child feeding in different situations and circumstances.
The National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Nigeria shall achieve its goal and objectives through the following key strategies (i) legal, gender and cultural considerations to enact and enforce national laws and to adapt international conventions and recommendations that would enhance gender equality and equity together with child’s rights; (ii) advocacy and social mobilization shall to address the mandate of relevant ministries, NGOs, community-based organizations, political and traditional leadership groups, media organizations, educational institutions, and the relevant private sectors on infant and young child feeding; (iii) Communication for Behavior and Social Change (CBSC) to deliver appropriate, technically correct and up-to-date information on optimal infant and young child feeding; (iv) capacity building and development at all levels; (v) counselling and support services to ensure sustainability of implementation of this Policy at all levels; (vi) research; (vii) monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of this Policy to be carried out at various levels; (viii) supervision (a) to ensure that program operations at all levels are proceeding according to plan and (b) to assess the quality and effectiveness of services provided; and (ix) coordination to (a) ensure effective involvement of all key stakeholders, (b) make maximum use of resources, (c) provide guidance and (d) set standards of achievements.