en public specific orginal article <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> Malnutrition resulting from inappropriate and ineffective childhood feeding remains a significant public health concern especially in developing countries, where poor child feeding practices exert serious negative impact on health outcomes. This qualitative study explored mothers&rsquo; perception about complementary feeding, mothers&rsquo; hygiene and food safety measures, food storage, and preparation and food handling practices. <strong>Methods: </strong>This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey, conducted in selected Local Government Areas (LGAs), Southwestern Nigeria in November, 2019. Four sessions of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were conducted in each of four selected LGAs giving a total of sixteen sessions with eight discussants selected for each session of FGD giving a total of 128 discussants. The discussants were selected by multistage sampling technique. FGD guide was used to explore mothers&rsquo; perception about complementary feeding, complementary feeding practices, and associated factors. Responses were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using Nvivo 11 software. <strong>Results:</strong> Five themes were developed from FGD responses, including mothers&rsquo; perception about complementary feeding, hygiene practices, food storage, safety, food preparation, and food handling. Mothers&rsquo; age, parity, educational status, employment status, family income, and food availability and affordability affected mothers&rsquo; perception about complementary feeding and complementary feeding practices. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Advocacy on infants&rsquo; feeding must take cognizance of the finding factors towards appropriate, effective childhood feeding in addition to reduction in malnutrition and related burden.</div> Mothers’ perception, Complementary foods, Complementary feeding, Nigeria 321 333 http://jnfs.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-299-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Kolade Afolayan, MBChB Afolabi doctorafolabi2@yahoo.com 0000-0002-4565-9891 Yes Medical and Health Services, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Adebukunola Olajumoke Afolabi 0000-0002-3332-0524 No Clinical Nursing Services, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife.