Nigeria: CRSG Approves Six Months Maternity Leave to Boost Breastfeeding Rates

18 December 2024
Vanguard (Lagos)
By Sola Ogundipe

In a move to enhance infant health and well-being, the Cross River State government has announced an extension of maternity leave for all nursing mothers in the state's civil and public service from three to six months.

The directive which takes effect from December 20, 2024, is contained in a government circular No 7/2024 titled "Approval for increase maternity leave from three to six months with pay for nursing mothers in Cross River State civil/public service" dated 16th December, 2024 and signed by the Head of Service, Obol Dr. Innocent E. Eteng.

The doubling of maternity leave in the state, follows a concerning report from the World Health Organization (WHO) which placed Cross River State's exclusive breastfeeding rate at 38.95 percent as of 2023. This figure, used to measure the number of exclusively breastfed children, prompted the State Governor Bassey Edet Otu to take decisive action.

The extended maternity leave is intended to support this initiative by enabling mothers to exclusively breastfeed their newborns for the recommended six-month period. The government believes this will significantly improve infant health outcomes in the state.

The circular reads, "Arising from the World Health Organization's rating of Cross River State breast-feeding rate,at 38.95 percent as at 2023, (EBF), an indicator which is used in determining the number of exclusively breast-fed children in a state.

"In view of the poor percentage recorded in Cross River State by the year ended 2023, His Excellency, Senator (Prince) Bassey Edet Otu, Governor of Cross River State, has approved that henceforth, every child born in Cross River State be entitled to six months exclusive breastfeeding, which will in turn improve the health and well being of the child in Cross River State

"Accordingly, maternity leave is hereby elongated from 3 (three) months to 6 (six) months for all nursing mothers in the Civil/Public Service of the State.

"Chief Executives and Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have all been directed to publicise the new policy widely. The change takes effect from Friday, December 20, 2024," the circular noted.

Read the original article on Vanguard.

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