…Insist on adoption of 6-month paid maternity leave
After a one-day retreat in Calabar, Cross River State, about twenty-two wives of Nigeria’s Governors’ wives who besieged the state capitol proclaimed their resolve to promote reserved seats for women in the various legislative assemblies in the country.
Led by the Kwara State governor’s wife, Ambassador Olufunke AbdulRazak, who is the chairperson of the forum, the Governors’ wives, under the aegis of “Nigerian Governors’ Spouses Forum said: “By ensuring equitable representation of women in legislative bodies, we open the door to policies that reflect the realities of half our population.”
Prof. AbdulRazak added: “When women lead, communities prosper; when women participate, societies grow stronger,” thus commending Cross River’s adoption of the six-month maternity leave while urging other South-South governors to emulate it, saying the policy “strengthens family bonds and enhances workforce productivity.”
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, he had described the governor’s wives as their “transformative influence on the moral, social, and developmental architecture of the nation,” pledging his administration’s full support for gender inclusion and public health advocacy.
He called women “the true backbone of national development,” noting that Nigeria’s sustainable progress depends on the active participation of women in governance and community building.
“No woman, no nation,” Otu declared. “It is very clear that this nation cannot move forward without women. My rise in politics has been largely attributed to the support of women, because when they make a decision, it is very difficult to change it.”
The Governor highlighted the six-month paid maternity leave introduced by his administration for female civil servants as a model of gender-sensitive governance, adding that Cross River had made significant strides in healthcare delivery and immunization coverage.
He explained thus: “We have discovered that most maternal deaths occur at the primary healthcare level, so we are upscaling those facilities and training health workers to ensure better service delivery,” he explained. “Our goal is to make sure no mother or child dies from preventable causes.”
At the end of the retreat, attended by 22 First Ladies, the forum issued a communiqué reaffirming its commitment to advancing women’s health, gender equity, and child welfare.
They also pledged continued collaboration with donor partners, civil society groups, and health agencies to reduce maternal mortality, strengthen immunisation coverage—particularly on HPV, Measles, Rubella, and Hepatitis—and end child labour through a strategic partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labour.
In a landmark resolution, the forum endorsed the 2026 RenewHER Roadmap Strategy presented by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, aimed at improving health outcomes for women and girls nationwide.
The communiqué described the retreat as “a gathering of shared wisdom and renewed commitment,” noting that the NGSF would sustain its role as a unifying platform for advocacy, partnership, and leadership.
“We are resolved,” the First Ladies stated collectively, “to keep standing where the cries of the weak are heard, where the hope of the woman and child is rekindled, and where the light of compassion continues to shine.”
