FG Enforces 112-Day Paid Maternity Leave, 2-Hour Breastfeeding Breaks To Back Working Mothers
DR NAFISAT MAKINDE
Abuja; August 7, 2025
The Federal Government has rolled out 112-day paid maternity leave and enforced two-hour daily breastfeeding breaks for nursing mothers in the federal civil service, in a move aimed at supporting women, promoting optimal breastfeeding practices, and boosting child survival in Nigeria.
The announcement was made during the commemoration of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week, held on Wednesday, August 6, at the National Hospital, Abuja. Speaking on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, said the theme of the celebration — “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems” — calls for long-term structures that protect every Nigerian child’s right to nutrition and survival.
According to her, the federal government’s commitment includes 112 days of paid maternity leave, two-hour daily breastfeeding breaks for mothers until their babies turn one, and 14 days of paternity leave to encourage male involvement. She added that breastfeeding is no longer a personal matter, but a shared responsibility and a national development strategy that delivers health, social, and economic benefits.
Prof. Pate, through the statement, noted that breastfeeding reduces infant mortality, supports maternal health, lowers household medical expenses, and contributes to long-term human capital development. However, he expressed concern that according to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, only 29% of Nigerian infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and just 23% are breastfed within one hour of birth.
He explained that to address these gaps, the government has invested in training health workers, implementing the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes through NAFDAC, and pushing for breastfeeding-friendly workplaces across the country.
“If we get breastfeeding right, we take a giant step toward ending malnutrition, reducing poverty, building a climate-smart nation, and securing a healthier, more prosperous Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, represented by Alhaji Suleiman Umar, Director of General Services, described breastfeeding as nature’s first climate-smart food system. He said it produces zero waste, requires no packaging or transportation, and has no carbon footprint—unlike formula feeding, which burdens families and the environment.
He called on health workers, employers, community leaders, and policymakers to play their roles in building an interconnected system of support for breastfeeding mothers, saying: “To every health worker, father, employer, policymaker — this is your call to action. Identify your role. Support our mothers. Protect our future.”
In their goodwill messages, WHO representative Dr. Pindar Wakawa and UNICEF Nigeria Representative Sumit Khan praised Nigeria’s leadership. Wakawa described breastfeeding as a moral, economic, and environmental imperative, while Khan called it the most cost-effective child survival strategy, warning that failure to support it would deepen inequality and child mortality.
After the ceremony, representatives of the Coordinating Minister, Minister of State, WHO, and UNICEF toured the maternity wards of the National Hospital, where they interacted with breastfeeding mothers and distributed gift items including towels and umbrellas. The mothers were also inducted into the Breastfeeding Advocate Club as a symbolic gesture of recognition and empowerment.
As Nigeria intensifies its push toward 80% exclusive breastfeeding by 2030, the government’s policies — now backed by firm figures and real support — signal a new era in which breastfeeding is viewed not just as a maternal duty, but as a pillar of nation-building.