Nigerian Digital Bank Herconomy Encourages Breastfeeding With Innovative Bank Account

Learn how Breastmilk Money turns breastfeeding into a savings account with 14.3% interest for Nigerian mothers.

LAGOS, NIGERIA, May 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Only 34% of Nigerian mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding — despite its well-established health and developmental benefits for both mother and child. The obstacles are rarely medical. Instead, cultural pressure, misinformation, and a lack of support — particularly in the workplace — often lead women to stop earlier than planned. Meanwhile, formula is costly, consuming as much as 34% of a household’s income, especially in urban areas.

To address this, Herconomy, Nigeria’s leading women-focused digital bank, has introduced Breastmilk Money — a financial product that transforms breastfeeding into a structured savings tool.


Earn Interest on Breastfeeding

Breastmilk Money functions as a sub-account within a Herconomy savings account. It calculates how much a mother would typically spend on formula and automatically redirects that amount into monthly savings. The funds earn 14.3% annual interest — a figure that symbolically reflects the proven developmental benefits of breastfeeding.

“When women have access to tools that help them save, invest, and grow their wealth, they gain the freedom to make the best choices for themselves and their families,” says Ife Durosinmi-Etti, CEO of Herconomy.

The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s National Strategic Health Development Plan, which emphasizes improved maternal and child nutrition.


A Campaign Rooted in Real Stories

The campaign officially launched at the Herconomy Summit, alongside the premiere of MILK, a short film directed by Fariba Buchheim, featuring real stories from Nigerian mothers navigating stigma and breastfeeding myths. The campaign also includes visual storytelling by renowned photographers Yagazie Emezi and Nengi Nelson, and will be rolled out nationally via media platforms, events, and outdoor advertising.
More information is available at breastmilkmoney.com.


Why Breastfeeding Matters

Breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of infant mortality, infections, and malnutrition, while offering long-term health benefits to mothers, including lower rates of postpartum complications and certain cancers. Yet Nigeria’s rate of exclusive breastfeeding remains one of the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa — particularly among working mothers in urban settings.

“Breastfeeding is the most cost-effective intervention we have in the fight against childhood malnutrition,” says Dr. Lope Adejuyigbe, lactation consultant and founder of The BestFeeding Club.


Created by a Female Coalition

Breastmilk Money was co-created by Nigerian women working across health, media, and finance — including Titilayo Medunoye and Ogechi Ekeanyanwu — ensuring the campaign is both grounded in expertise and deeply human.

By recognizing the true economic value of breastfeeding, Herconomy is helping mothers build savings, shift cultural narratives, and take control of their financial futures.

Barbara Puttini
serviceplan group
email us here

MILK