NAFDAC Inaugurates 15-Member Committee to Curb Substandard Breast Milk Substitute Practices in Nasarawa

By David Odama

The Nasarawa State office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated a 15-member multi-sectoral committee tasked with regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in Lafia on Wednesday, the State Coordinator and Chairman of the committee, Anga Emmanuel, said the move was in line with the directive of the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye. He stated that the initiative aims to promote breastfeeding while enforcing strict compliance with regulations governing breast milk substitutes.

Emmanuel noted that the committee’s primary responsibility will be to monitor and ensure adherence to both the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes and Nigeria’s national guidelines.

He emphasized that the sale and advertisement of breast milk substitutes should be strictly regulated and only permitted when recommended by a qualified medical professional.

Also speaking, Mrs. Blessing Abel, Principal Regulatory Officer and Desk Officer for breast milk substitutes, reiterated the nutritional, hormonal, and immunological benefits of breast milk for infants. She added that breastfeeding also helps reduce the risk of breast cancer and metabolic diseases in mothers.

Abel advised new mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life.

The newly inaugurated committee comprises representatives from NAFDAC, the state ministries of Health, Information, and Women Affairs, as well as members of the media, the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the Department of State Services, and other key stakeholders.