UNICEF urges Kano, 21 other states to adopt six-month paid maternity leave for breastfeeding mothers
Kola Oyelere, Kano
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on governments across Nigeria to strengthen support for breastfeeding mothers by adopting family-friendly workplace policies, including six months of paid maternity leave, flexible work schedules, breastfeeding breaks, private lactation rooms and facilities for the safe storage of expressed breast milk.
The Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Mr. Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, made the appeal during the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week road walk held in Kano.
He said many women return to work shortly after childbirth, making it difficult to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended first six months of a child’s life.
According to him, only 14 states currently provide six months of paid maternity leave, a policy that enables mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies during the critical early months.
Ur-Rehman urged the remaining 22 states, including Kano, Jigawa and Katsina, to adopt and implement similar policies to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Describing breastfeeding as “the wise choice for every child, every mother and every nation,” he noted that although more than 90 per cent of Nigerian mothers breastfeed their children, optimal breastfeeding practices remain low
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He cited findings from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which showed that fewer than one in ten newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, while only about one in ten infants are exclusively breastfed during their first six months.
Speaking on this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” Ur-Rehman described breast milk as the most sustainable food for infants and a child’s first vaccine against disease, malnutrition and preventable deaths.
He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with the Federal and State Governments as well as development partners to ensure that every Nigerian child survives, thrives and reaches their full potential.
Also speaking at the event, Kano State Nutrition Officer, Aishatu Sulaiman, said the campaign aims to promote exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding up to two years of age.
She explained that breast milk provides all the nutrients needed for healthy growth, strengthens the immune system and plays a vital role in preventing malnutrition.
Sulaiman urged mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding, describing it as one of the most effective and affordable interventions for improving child survival and development.
The road walk attracted government officials, development partners, healthcare workers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, who joined the campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for stronger support systems for nursing mothers.