Group advocates action on six months breastfeeding maternity leave

The Lagos State Government, in recognition of the roles mothers play in the development of a child and their indisputable contribution to societal development passed a landmark policy in July, 2014 that extended maternity leave for female civil servants to six months.

Towards celebrating this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, an advocacy group for women and children has called on the Federal Government to implement a national action on the extension of maternity leave for mothers, as part of efforts to protect maternity and encourage breastfeeding.

President, Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition, Nigeria, Prof. Ngozi Nnam said at a recent event in Abuja that the extension can give mothers leverage to stay at home and practice exclusive breastfeeding which is cheaper and more nourishing for the baby.

“This admonition is coming on the heels of a recent report by National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), which indicates that Nigeria has the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate in Africa, and more over the country has fallen below WHO and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) breastfeeding standard of 90 per cent for children less than six months in developing countries,” Nnam lamented.

“When six months extension of maternity leave becomes legalized, nobody will have an option than to accept it, and that is why we are earnestly looking forward to that policy coming up in Nigeria,” she added.

Experts have said that exclusive breastfeeding is one of the ways by which mothers show love to their children, and that well breastfed children often bond better with their mothers and reciprocate the gesture, as they grow older.

Nnam revealed that, Enugu state has also heeded to the call for six months maternity leave in 2015.
“The push for the Federal Government to toe the line is in consonant with the expectations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which is the chief advocate for global action for six months paid maternity leave.”

The global body is calling on government at all levels and other employers of labor to endorse the proposal because of its attendant benefits to the health of both the mothers and babies, she noted.

Speaking in the same vein, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiye challenged employers to support the initiative, adding that job security and employers should encourage non-discrimination on the grounds of maternity and breastfeeding.

Osunkiye noted, “Promotion and success of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life without any other additives require the collective support of all including employers of labor, community and religious leaders,” she said adding that this is one of the ways that society can show love to mothers and children.

It is this regard that Peak Milk, a premium milk brand on the stable of Friesland Campina WAMCO has launched special limited edition packs to make this year’s Mother’s Day celebration truly special.

Emblazoned with special affectionate and emotional messages like: ‘Sweet Mother’, ‘Love You’, and ‘Thank You’ these limited special edition packs were cleverly designed to inspire affection, love and appreciation for mothers.