Mrs Otu stated this in Calabar on Wednesday while officially launching the campaign as part of activities marking World Breastfeeding Week 2026.
By Patrick Abang
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Published on September 23, 2026
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5 min read
Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, Wife of Cross River State Governor, has reiterated her commitment to partner with the Ministry of Health, the Primary Health Care Development Agency and UNICEF to take the First 1,000 Days of Life Social and Behaviour Change Campaign to all 18 local government areas, markets, churches, mosques and villages.
Mrs Otu stated this in Calabar on Wednesday while officially launching the campaign as part of activities marking World Breastfeeding Week 2026.
The Wife of the Governor, represented by her Special Adviser on Programmes, Apostle Queen Eton, said the campaign, which covers 270 days of pregnancy and 730 days from birth to a child’s second birthday, is critical because what happens in the first 1,000 days determines a child’s future and can never be reversed.
“As the wife of the governor and mother of the state, I will partner with the Ministry of Health, the Primary Health Care Agency and UNICEF to take the SBC campaign to all 18 LGAs, to our markets, churches, mosques and villages,” she said.
She said the campaign aims to change key behaviours, including encouraging pregnant women to eat well, attend antenatal care and sleep under treated nets, initiating breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
“For the first six months, give only breast milk: no water, no agbo, no pap. Breast milk has all the water and nutrients the child needs,” she stressed.
Mrs Otu called on husbands, mothers-in-law and traditional leaders to support nursing mothers and not force water on babies.
She described breast milk as “God’s perfect food” that is clean, safe, free and full of love, noting that a well-nourished child in the first 1,000 days will thrive while failure in that period could lead to poor learning and ill health for life.
She thanked the Federal Ministry of Health, UNICEF and other development partners for their support, adding that a well-fed child is a well-brained child who will build Cross River State.
Earlier in her welcome address,s the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Vivian Mesembe Edet, called on stakeholders to support exclusive breastfeeding to ensure every child in the state gets proper nutrition.
Dr Edet said nutrition is everybody’s business, involving farmers, teachers, traditional rulers, religious leaders and parents.
She said the materials will help reach mothers and families from conception to a child’s second birthday, noting that breastfeeding remains the most cost-effective way to save lives and build a healthier future.
Dr Edet said this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthening What Works,” underscores the importance of breastfeeding in preventing malnutrition, adding that early initiation, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and good complementary feeding raise healthier children.
She recalled the recent flag-off of the National Community Food Bank Project by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in the state, and thanked UNICEF, WHO, Nutrition International and other partners for their support in promoting breastfeeding.
In a goodwill message, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Enugu Field Office, Dr Ngozi Onuora, represented by State Nutrition Facilitator, Blessing Nwaerungwa, said the launch of the SBCC materials is an important step towards creating awareness and promoting positive nutritional practices for mothers and children.
Onuora commended the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency and other partners for their commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition, and urged stakeholders to support dissemination of the messages to communities and households.
“Together, we can give every child a healthier start,” she said.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO, Olatunde Rebecca, represented by Etemah – Aboh Ekane, pledged continued support for Cross River State’s First 1,000 Days campaign.
She said that while World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthening What Works”, has ended, commitment to a healthier future must continue.
She said the Social Behaviour Change Campaign will bridge the gap between awareness and actual practice of breastfeeding as a lifestyle, shift social norms, empower grassroots mothers and equip health workers to ensure early initiation of breastfeeding.
She assured that WHO will provide unwavering support to ensure every infant in the state gets a sustainable start in life.
On his part, the State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Mr Christian Okechukwu, represented by the Zonal Technical Officer, Mr Offiong Edem, said the first 1,000 days of life are critical as 80 per cent of brain development occurs within the period.
He stressed the need for antenatal care, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding, noting that it is a period of rapid growth that must be taken seriously.
He assured that NPHCDA will continue to support programmes promoting the first 1,000 days for the wellbeing of babies and the nation’s economy.
