Group calls for adoption of maternity, paternity leave
The Secretary-General, Nigerian Women in Successful Career (WESCA), Ekemini Akpankpan, has called on the government to implement the maternal 16-month leave for nursing mothers and two-week paternity leave for fathers,
The Secretary-General, Nigerian Women in Successful Career (WESCA), Ekemini Akpankpan, has called on the government to implement the maternal 16-month leave for nursing mothers and two-week paternity leave for fathers, with full allowances paid so they can bond with their babies.
Akpankpa made the call during a roadshow in Abuja.
She appealed to the government on the importance of leave for parents, adding that it would improve productivity, as the parents would rest very well during their leave.
She said: “This appeal is for the adoption of a national framework, this leave should be guaranteed across board in all sectors of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), including the private sectors. At present, it is already being implemented in some states, with full payment for both parents, but other states are not in yet which is why the WESCA is calling on the Federal and state government to make it equal by unifying the implementation.
“Nigeria’s leave policies leave mothers with only 12 weeks of maternity leave and half salary, while men are on zero days of paternity leave. Apart from those working in the civil service and few states, others are not granted paternity leave in any way.This means for most fathers in the private sector, there is no consistent statutory protection, creating unequal access to care during the most critical period of early childhood development.”
Akpankpa noted that Nigeria does not have a functioning parental leave system. There is no national standard for paternity leave either, and maternity leave provisions are inadequate as the country has fragmented rules across states with different employers.
The proposed reform seeks to establish a unified national standard applicable across federal, state, and private sectors for employers, supported by clear enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance and end the existing patchwork of inconsistent policies.
A parent, Samson Elijah, said: “As a working father, with no leave, I did not have enough time to bond with my child during the early days. Most times I come back at night, and the child is already asleep.’’
He appealed to political leaders to take proactive steps by adopting progressive parental leave policies that would reduce employee burnout, improve retention, strengthen long-term productivity and business performance.
