The Niger State Government is working on extending maternity leave for civil servants in the State from three to six months.
Male civil servants whose wives put to bed are also being considered for a two-week paternity leave.
Dr Mohammed Gana, the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Health, made the disclosure on Tuesday, during the flag-off of the World Breastfeeding Week in the State.
He assured that the review of maternity leave in the State had reached an advanced stage.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the government was working to put in place a support system that would ensure that work or any form of employment does not separate nursing mothers from their babies.
He said, “Work or any form of employment should not separate the nursing mother from her baby.
“The State government is committed to providing the resources and championing the best practices for workplace-related breastfeeding support in all 25 local government areas, across different contract types and sectors, and promoting actions that can be taken to help ensure breastfeeding works for all women who work, wherever they work.”
The Government of Niger State, he assured, was restructuring all workplaces, private and public, to enable nursing mothers to breastfeed and work.