Civil Society Organisations in Kaduna state have commended Gov Nasir El-Rufai for approving six months maternity leave for working mothers.
They gave the commendation in Kaduna on Wednesday while reacting to the extension of the maternity leave from three to six months by the El-Rufa’i administration.
TBI Africa said the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that El-Rufa’i announced the extension in his inaugural speech for his second term.
He said that the move was to allow working mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children.
Malam Isa Ibrahim, Nutrition Advocacy Adviser, Save the Children International, thanked the governor for the life impacting decision.
Ibrahim described it as a good development for working class women in the state.
He equally thanked the wife of the governor, Ummi El-Rufa’i, Chairperson, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan for the push to ensure that the six months maternity leave was approved.
He told NAN that the development, the first in northern part of the country would promote exclusive breastfeeding practices among working mothers in the state.
He said that the extension would give lactating mothers the needed time and opportunity to exclusively and adequately breastfeed their child within the first six months of birth.
Ibrahim explained that exclusive breastfeeding was very crucial for healthy growth and development of children.
He, however, noted that most working-class mothers hardly practice exclusive breastfeeding because the maternity leave only last for three months.
“With the extension to six months, working class mothers have no excuse but to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
“I call on mothers to make the best use of the time and opportunity to practice exclusive breastfeeding, for the healthy growth and development of the child,” Ibrahim said.
Also, the Kaduna State Coordinator, Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria. Mr Silas Ideva, commended the state government, describing the gesture as a positive move towards ending malnutrition in the state.
He said: “While we await the establishment of creches in workplaces for lactating mothers to practice adequate breastfeeding, the six months maternity leave will greatly promote exclusive breastfeeding among working class mothers in the state.
“We are calling on the private sector to key in and ensure that working class mothers have the needed time to adequately breastfeed their children.”
