For Kastina nursing mothers, UNICEF supports six months of paid maternity leave.

The state government should provide nursing moms with six months of paid maternity leave, according to the United Nations Children's Fund;

The statement was made at a gathering that UNICEF and the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency organized to emphasize the advantages of the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week.

World Breastfeeding Week this year is centered around the idea of "Enabling breastfeeding-making a difference for working parents."

The plea was made by the UNICEF Chief, Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Farah, who was represented by the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mr. Oluniyi Oyedokun. Mr. Farah emphasized the importance of breastfeeding for the health and wellbeing of mothers and children.

He explained that the six-month maternity leave will make it possible for parents who are working to raise healthy and content children in the state.

Farah also urged the government to give working parents' needs first priority by establishing nursing breaks and putting lactation facilities in every ministry, department, and organization.

He emphasized that encouraging breastfeeding-friendly policies can help working parents by fostering better employer-employee relationships, employee loyalty, increased job productivity, and a favorable impact on gender equality and work-life balance.

Therefore, he encouraged the government to give sufficient funding for the promotion, protection, and support of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition in order to prevent malnutrition.

"UNICEF requests that the administration of Katsina State extend paid maternity leave from the current

According to her, state government ministries, departments, and organizations should pay for maternity leave in order to support and sustain nursing women while they are on leave in order to ensure exclusive breastfeeding.

"All mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding after birth, especially within the first hour after delivery, with complementary foods for up to two years or beyond," she stated.

Government, community, and religious leaders were urged by the governor's wife to involve women in system transformation to promote breastfeeding-friendly neighborhoods and workplaces.

She committed to promote children's health and build a brighter future for them through her side project, the "Safe Space Humanitarian Initiative."