Kwara state approves 6 months maternity leave

Kwara State Government has announced the adoption and approval of six months maternity leave for working mothers. Wife of the state governor, Mrs Olufolake Abdulrazaq, announced this at the flag-off of the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week and the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week in Ilorin.

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Mrs Olufolake Abdulrazaq, said the week would highlight the huge benefits that breastfeeding could bring to the health and welfare of babies and benefits to maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security. She also added that working mothers in the state usually went on three months maternity leave before the adoption of six months.

According to her, It has become imperative to upscale advocacies to collectively enable exclusive breastfeeding with due consideration for working mothers.

“World breastfeeding week has the dual goal of improving the health of babies and promoting, protecting and supporting the rights of women to breastfeed at anywhere and at any time. Effective maternity protection you will agree with me stand to improve health and wellbeing outcomes of breastfeeding on infants, young children, mothers, families and the society at large”.

She also commended Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for approving the extension of maternity leave for nursing mothers and setting up crèches in the various ministries. She also said that this would encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies while at work.

The theme of the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week is: “Enabling breastfeeding; making a difference for working parents.”

The event is marked every first week of August since 1992, to inform, engage and galvanise action. The week also presents avenues to generate public awareness and support for exclusive breastfeeding.

Wumi/NAN