Nigeria: Kaduna extends maternity leave for civil servants from 3 months to 6 months

Aisha-Ummi, wife of Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State has extended maternity leave for civil servants from three months to six months as an investment in human capital development, according to a news report by Daily Trust.

During the stakeholder's validation meeting on the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, Chairperson, Kaduna State Nutrition Emergency Action Plan, El-Rufai has stated this in Kaduna.

The Bill provides for six months of maternity leave for women and proposes two weeks of paternity leave for husbands who work in public service.

Aisha-Ummi said that the government was translating the pronouncement of the approved six months of maternity leave into law to ensure sustainability.

This step is necessary to improve the six months of exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers to provide the babies with the needed nutrients for the first 1,000 days of their lives, said Ummi.

"This will ensure the survival, healthy growth, and development of the child into an intelligent, innovative, and creative adult that will contribute to the development of the state and the nation.

"The extension will equally help the full recovery of women after childbirth and support them to breastfeed their children exclusively for six months without any fear of losing their jobs.

"The maternity leave will further ensure effective access to quality maternal healthcare, thereby contributing to the health and well-being of mothers and their babies, said the governor.

She added that the state government had also adapted and approved some of the national food and nutrition policies, strategies, and plans, to improve the nutritional status of women and children.