By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
In a significant milestone in maternal and child nutrition, the Nasarawa State government has approved the six months paid maternity leave.
Nasarawa is the 18th state that has approved the six months paid meternity leave in Nigeria.
The Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) therefore congratulated the Nasarawa State Governor,Engr. Abdullahi and the state government on the approval of six months paid matemity leave and 14 days paternity for public servants.
In its congratulatory message to the Nasarawa State govenrment, CS SUNN stated that the approval aligns with global best practices and the World Health Organization’s recommendations on exclusive breastfeeding.
According to the Nutrition agency, this moves marks a “bold visionary step” towards safeguarding the health and future of Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens-women and children with far- reaching benefit.
“It will empower working mothers with the time and financial resilience for optimal postpartum recovery and exclusive breastfeeding during the critical first six months of life-reducing infant mortality, enhancing cognitive development and laying a strong foundation for lifelong health.”
At the community level, healthier children and families will translate into stronger social cohesion, reduced healthcare burdens and greater economic participation by women.
For Nasarawa State, this policy represents a high-return investment in human capital: it will boost workforce productivity, improve nutrition outcomes and position the state for better sustainable development.
Meanwhile, with this approval, Nasarawa state has joined the league of states that have approved six months paid maternity leave: Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Niger, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ondo, Kebbi, Bomo, Katsina, Kwara, Yobe, Abia, Anambra and Plateau.
The state now becomes the 18th state to embrace this transformative policy, further consolidating Nigeria’s progress toward strengthening human capital development, improving population he alth outcomes and advancing a nutrition-driven development agenda that is critical to na tional productivity and sustainable economic growth.
For over a decade, CS-SUNN has championed policies that promote optimal maternal, inf ant and young child nutrition through evidence-based advocacy to institutionalize six pai d months maternity across states in the country, CS SUNN said .
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