Women who enjoy six months of paid maternity leave say the policy has significantly improved their recovery after childbirth, enabled them to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the recommended six months, and allowed them to return to work healthier and more productive.
Several mothers from Nigerian states that have adopted the policy shared their experiences, describing the extended leave as life-changing. Many said the additional three months helped them recover fully, particularly after caesarean section deliveries, while strengthening the bond with their babies during the critical early months of life.
Health worker Abidemi, an Ekiti State civil servant, recalled that after the birth of her first child, she resumed work after three months and was forced to introduce infant formula at four months because of work demands. However, with her second child, she benefited from the state's six-month maternity leave policy, allowing her to exclusively breastfeed her baby for six months and recover completely before returning to work.
Other mothers from Ondo, Oyo and Plateau states also said the policy reduced stress, improved their mental wellbeing, helped them witness important developmental milestones, and made exclusive breastfeeding easier.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, receiving only breast milk except for prescribed medicines or oral rehydration solutions. The organisations say breastfeeding strengthens babies' immunity, reduces infections, supports healthy growth, and lowers healthcare costs.
Nigeria's 2023–2024 National Demographic and Health Survey shows that only 29 percent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, despite the well-documented health benefits.
Public health nutrition expert, Professor Beatrice Ogunba of Obafemi Awolowo University, said extending paid maternity leave to six months would increase exclusive breastfeeding rates, improve maternal recovery, strengthen child development, and reduce infant illnesses and deaths.
Former Director of Nutrition Services and Health Education at the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board, James Oloyede, also noted that six-month maternity leave gives mothers enough time to recover physically and emotionally while improving child survival through exclusive breastfeeding.
Currently, only the Federal Government and about 12 Nigerian states—including Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, Plateau, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kwara, Abia, Niger and Zamfara—have adopted six months of paid maternity leave for eligible public workers.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said extending the policy to the private sector is achievable but should be implemented through collaboration, government incentives, and shared financial responsibility to avoid placing excessive burdens on small and medium-sized businesses.
Experts are urging governments and private employers across Nigeria to adopt six months of paid maternity leave, arguing that the policy is an investment in healthier families, a more productive workforce, and improved national development.
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