Katsina Governor’s wife advocates 4-month maternity leave policy

Wife of Katsina State Governor, Hajiya Zulaihat Radda, has advocated four months maternity leave for nursing mothers working under the state government.

Mrs Radda made the call at the launching of 2023 World Breastfeeding Week on Tuesday in Katsina.

This year’s week tagged: “Enabling breastfeeding, making a difference for working parents,’’ was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

She said the ministries should also pay for the maternity leave to support and sustain the nursing mothers while on leave.

According to her, “The four-month period are important strategy for breastfeeding and babies’ optimal nutrition, especially in their first six months.

“All mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding after birth, especially within the first hour after delivery, with complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.”

Radda said breastfeeding was not only important to a child but also significant to nursing mother, family and society.

“All community leaders and government sectors must include women in system transformation, to ensure breastfeeding-friendly communities and workplaces respectively,’’ Radda said.

The governor’s wife further said that in Islam, mothers were expected to breastfeed their offspring for two whole years.

Radda, however, said that her NGO, Safe Space Humanitarian Initiative, had invited individuals and institutions to create a better future for Nigerians.

“Together, we can make a significant impact in the areas of health, education, and climate change,” she said.

Earlier, the UNICEF’s Chief, Kano Field Office, Mr Rahama Farah, said that although some states made commendable strides to grant maternity leave with pay, there was desire for more improvement.

Mr Farah, who was represented by Mr. Oluniyi Oyedokun, a UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, also said people must foster a workplace culture that recognised critical role of parents bringing up a healthy child.

He further said it was estimated that about one million women were found in the Nigerian formal sector, while 95 per cent of women work within the informal sector.

“Shockingly, only nine per cent of organisations have creches, with only 1.5 per cent in the public sector, this must be changed,” Fara said.

He called for the creation of an environment where working parents would be supported in nurturing children and pursue their careers.

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