Why APC States Want Six Months Maternity Leave

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Residents of states controlled by the All Progressive Congress (APC) may witness increment in length of period granted working nursing mothers following a proposal to implement six months maternity leave as well as exclusive breastfeeding.

The move is to promote a framework for promoting child nutrition.

This is one of the outcome of a virtual meeting of Secretaries to State Governments of APC-controlled states held under the auspices of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).

The current status of child and maternal nutrition in APC states was put under consideration in the meeting.

In a communique, the meeting which had as its theme, ‘Developing Common Policy Initiatives on Maternal & Child Nutrition Promotion in APC States’, noted the importance of information and how it affects the attitudes of citizens towards issues of nutrition.

The communique signed by Alhaji Adamu Fanini and Prof. Danladi Atu, SSGs of Jigawa and Plateau states respectively, participants said “in view of the importance of parental support for children at birth and the health of the nursing parents, the meeting recommended that APC controlled states should prioritise implementation of 180 days (6 months) maternity leave for women.

“The meeting observed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding to the growth and general health of a child and therefore recommended that APC controlled states should encourage and support women to practice six months exclusive breastfeeding for children from birth.

“The meeting observed that there is no institutional framework for the implementation of programmes on food and nutrition in some states and therefore resolved that APC controlled states should set up State Committees on Food and Nutrition to relate with all FG programmes on Food and Nutrition and coordinate PGF’s implementation framework on child Nutrition in APC controlled state.

“The meeting equally encouraged each APC controlled state to continually give Status Report on what currently obtains in their state with a view to creating a template that reflects the current status of each APC state on Child Nutrition and each SGS should nominate the focal person for their state to relate with the PGF Secretariat on the implementation”, the communique stated further.

Plateau State Governor and Co-Chairman of PGF Governance Programme Steering Committee, Simon Bako Lalong declared the meeting open, while governor Mohammed Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa state, declared it close.

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