By Nafisat Aliyu

In a bid to promote nutrition awareness and support in Borno State, the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has embarked on a compelling advocacy campaign. 

Despite facing skepticism from government officials, the CS-SUNN team has made significant progress in engaging key stakeholders and raising crucial awareness on the importance of extended paid maternity leave for workers.

During a recent meeting with the Borno state Nigeria Labour Congress Chairman, the Borno, CS-SUNN Coordinator, Hajiya Aisha Midala, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Borno State expressed his full support for the advocacy of extended paid maternity leave for working mothers. 

The NLC chairman leader emphasized, the importance of ensuring six months of paid maternity leave for mothers, the NLC Chairman affirmed that workers’ welfare, including maternal health benefits, should be a top priority. 

Borno CS-SUNN members during the advocacy meeting with Borno NLC chairman in Maiduguri

Hajiya Aisha Midala, the Coordinator of CS-SUNN in Borno, highlighted the vital importance of sufficient breastfeeding for infants, especially in the initial six months of their lives.

She suggested that extending maternity leave to six months would help mothers follow the advised exclusive breastfeeding guidelines, which are commonly disrupted by distractions and limitations in the workplace that working mothers encounter.

Midala also noted that numerous children miss out on crucial nutrition during their early years because of the difficulties faced by working mothers. This deprivation could directly affect the mental and physical development of these children in the long term.