To commemorate World Breastfeeding Week 2025, the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, through the NUMEPLAN program, hosted a three-day outreach event championing the theme of supporting and promoting breastfeeding as a vital foundation for child health and nutrition. The celebration brought together mothers, health professionals, partners, and our dedicated volunteers across various locations, delivering impactful nutrition education, support, and empowerment to breastfeeding mothers in different communities in Lagos.

The week commenced at the Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) in Dopemu with a knowledge-sharing session that covered the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, as well as the continuation of breastfeeding up to two years. Mothers engaged actively in discussions, asking questions and sharing personal experiences. We also delivered an informative Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) session to promote healthy practices in the home. The day ended with the distribution of support items, given as tokens of encouragement for the mothers’ dedication to their children’s well-being.

On the second day of the campaign, the celebration continued at the Lagos Food Bank warehouse, bringing together mothers from different communities. After registering all beneficiaries, our nutrition team facilitated an interactive breastfeeding awareness session, reinforcing the benefits of breastmilk as the perfect first food for infants. The WASH session once again equipped mothers with practical steps for preventing infections and ensuring a clean, safe feeding environment. In addition, a food demonstration session was conducted as mothers were taught local food fortification and enrichment. At the end of the outreach, food boxes, which included food and household items for both mother and child, were distributed to each mother to encourage and assist them in caring for their babies.

The final day of the outreach took place at another PHC in Odumbaku, with our Food Bank volunteers and partners, Mouka Foam, in attendance. The day started with engaging discussions on exclusive breastfeeding, its long-term benefits for mother and child, and the importance of continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding up to two years. The WASH session encouraged mothers to adopt simple but effective hygiene habits at home. In attendance were representatives of Mouka Foam, who encouraged the mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding and generously donated pillows to the mothers. The day concluded with the distribution of support items to every mother present, in recognition of their efforts to give their babies the best start in life.

Across the three days, our team reached numerous mothers, empowering them with adequate nutrition education and providing material support to reinforce positive breastfeeding practices.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Friska, August Secret, and Mouka Foam for their generous donations, as well as our volunteers, and the Primary Health Care Centers for their collaboration in making this celebration impactful.

Together, we continue to stand for a healthier future for mothers and babies in our community.