Maternity leave for female civil servants in Zamfara has been extended to six months following government approval aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding and improving maternal and child health.
The Zamfara State Government has approved six months of maternity leave for female civil servants as part of efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding and improve maternal and child health across the state.
The approval was announced on Thursday in Gusau by the State Head of Service, Alhaji Yakubu Haidara, while receiving a delegation from the Civil Society–Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).
The advocacy team visited the Head of Service to promote the adoption of a six-month maternity leave policy, increased funding for nutrition programmes and improved budget tracking to ensure timely release of funds.
Haidara said the approval reflects Governor Dauda Lawal’s commitment to strengthening exclusive breastfeeding and improving nutrition outcomes for infants in Zamfara.
According to him, the policy is intended to help address child malnutrition while providing mothers with adequate time to care for their newborns during the critical early months of life.
“I believe the governor’s approval is aimed at addressing malnutrition among children in the state,” he said.
The Head of Service described maternity leave as essential for safeguarding the health and well-being of both mothers and babies during the perinatal period.
He noted that the extended leave would support physical recovery after childbirth, reduce the risk of postpartum depression, encourage exclusive breastfeeding and strengthen emotional bonding between mothers and their infants.
Haidara said the state government and civil society organisations share a common goal of protecting children and ensuring healthier future generations.
He also recalled that Governor Lawal approved N500 million as counterpart funding for nutrition activities in the previous year to strengthen interventions across Zamfara.
Expressing optimism about sustained government support, Haidara said he believes the administration will maintain or even increase funding for nutrition programmes this year.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with development partners and civil society organisations to combat child malnutrition across the state.
Earlier, CS-SUNN State Coordinator, Kabiru Jangeru, described the approval of the six-month maternity leave as a major milestone in advancing maternal and child nutrition.
Jangeru said malnutrition remains a serious threat to child survival and called for sustained investment, stronger policies and deeper collaboration among stakeholders.
He explained that the advocacy campaign, supported by UNICEF, focuses on improving nutrition funding and promoting exclusive breastfeeding.
According to him, the new maternity leave policy will enable mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the recommended six months, helping to reduce malnutrition and improve child health outcomes.
Jangeru commended Governor Lawal for approving the policy and also praised the Head of Service for facilitating the engagement that led to its adoption.
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