Miriam is a 32-year-old team lead at R & C Corporation, where she has worked diligently for nearly five years. She manages a team of seven and was once praised for her leadership, loyalty, and productivity.

Last year, Miriam got married, became pregnant, and gave birth to her first child, now four months old. While her personal life is blossoming, her career is on the edge.

Since returning from maternity leave, she’s been trying to balance work and early motherhood: sleepless nights, breastfeeding, daycare drop-offs, and immunization appointments. The cracks are starting to show. She has received two queries from HR: one for arriving late, the other for reduced productivity. A third query would mean termination.

Not because she’s less skilled. Not because she suddenly stopped caring about her work. But because, like many workplaces across Nigeria, hers isn’t built to support women through motherhood. Miriam’s story is far too common and it has a name –The Motherhood Penalty.

The Motherhood Penalty is the economic and professional disadvantage that women face when they become mothers. It shows up in lower pay, missed promotions, assumptions about competence, and outright discrimination in hiring and retention.

Here’s how it plays out: Lower Pay: Mothers are often paid less than women without children, even with the same qualifications. Studies show a 4–7% income drop per child for mothers, while men experience a 6% income boost after becoming fathers.

Fewer Opportunities: Employers often pass over mothers for high-growth roles, assuming they won’t have time or energy to deliver. Bias and Doubt: Mothers are frequently asked, “So, who takes care of your baby while you’re at work?” This question, framed as concern, is a quiet signal that they are not fully trusted to handle their jobs.

Meanwhile, fatherhood is seen as a strength. Men are rewarded with raises, promotions, and credibility, while women are punished for the exact same life choice.

According to Trading Economics, 49.9% of Nigeria’s population are women. A large number of them are mothers contributing to the labor market, as traders, professionals, civil servants, caregivers, farmers, and entrepreneurs.

These women are not just employees, they are giving birth to the future workforce, the very children who will sustain and build the Nigerian economy in the next 20 to 30 years. Yet, our systems do not support them. And when we don’t support mothers, the entire economy loses.

If we’re serious about economic growth and gender equity in Nigeria, we need inclusive systems that help mothers stay in the workforce without sacrificing their health or families.

Here’s what that looks like: On-site childcare or childcare subsidies: Helps mothers return to work with peace of mind and less financial strain. It’s not just a benefit, it’s an employee retention strategy. Lactation rooms: Private, clean, and safe spaces for breastfeeding and pumping should be a workplace standard, not a luxury.

Flexible work hours and hybrid roles: Letting mothers work remotely or have adjustable start times improves productivity and loyalty. Re-entry programes: For mothers who take time off, structured return-to-work programs with training and mentorship help them reintegrate smoothly. Empathy and training for managers: Employers must create cultures that support, not punish, employees going through major life transitions like childbirth.

Let’s be clear: the problem was never working mothers. The problem is that our workplaces were designed by men, for men, assuming someone else (usually a woman) would be at home raising the children. But that world doesn’t exist anymore. Women are working, leading, building, and mothering, all at once. And they deserve systems that meet them where they are. If Nigeria wants a thriving, inclusive economy, it must start investing in women, in mothers, and in care. Because when we support mothers, we don’t just save their jobs, we secure the future of our nation.