The Oyo State House of Assembly has proposed the adoption of paternity leave for male workers in the state’s public and private sectors, to enhance family bond and provision of additional care for the newborn and their spouses by men.
Moving the motion on Thursday, the lawmaker representing Oyo East/West State Constituency, Hon. Olorunpoto Rahman, explained that a newborn relies on the strong bond with caregivers, especially parents who influence their emotion, social and cognitive growth.
Olorunpoto also argued at the plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi, that introducing paternity leave in the state will enable fathers to support their partners during the recovery period after childbirth.
He added that this will, in turn, promote gender equality and shared responsibility in parenting among childbearing families.
The lawmaker noted that many countries, including some States in Nigeria, have adopted the policy as a measure to improve productivity in their societies.
“Many countries and states have adopted the paternity leave policy, and it has helped in boosting morale and improved productivity, while at the same time fostering family cohesion and stability,” the lawmaker said.
He further revealed that the leave is already being implemented by the Federal Government through the Federal Civil Service as well as in Lagos and Enugu States.
The lawmaker emphasised that the absence of paternity leave for fathers in Oyo State may hinder their ability to provide necessary emotional and practical support to their families during postnatal period.
After the adoption of the motion, the Assembly recommended a minimum of 10-day duration for paternity leave with beneficiaries entitled to such leave thrice only throughout their service year.
The House further recommended that such leave should only be taken within the first month of childbirth or adoption of a child, to ensure that fathers have adequate time to bond with their newborns and offer support for their families.