The Ondo State Government has announced the extension of maternity leave from three to six months as part of efforts to ensure a total child development.

The Head of Service, Mr Kayode Ogundele announced this while receiving members of the Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Ondo State chapter, in his office, Akure.

Mr Ogundele said the move was to build a society where children were healthily raised and had all that was required in terms of maternal care.

The HoS said the decision was to enable mothers to give their newborn babies adequate attention during the leave period, stressing that, medical experts affirmed that, breastfeeding should be exclusive in the first six months.

Mr Ogundele said, the current government’s efforts were aimed at providing a better society for women and had also recently established the agency for the Protection Against Gender Violence.

Earlier, the state Chairperson of FIDA, Mrs Catherine Ogunjebi, advocated the elimination of some encumbrances in the administration of maternity leave irrespective of marital status.

Isaac Afolabi

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