A bill for an Act to amend the Labour Act and ensure establishment of creches in public and private workplaces has passed second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill which sought to boost breastfeeding among working class mothers was sponsored by Rep. Sergius Ogun (PDP-Edo) at plenary on Thursday.

Leading the debate, Ogun said that the provisions of the Labour Act which provided for four months of maternity leave for nursing mothers may be insufficient for exclusive breastfeeding of babies.

The lawmaker said that babies should enjoy exclusive breast milk for six months as recommended by experts.

He said that a creche facility within workplaces would enable nursing mothers to keep their sucking children within work hours under the watch of a nanny employed by the employer at a reasonable fee.

“Exclusive breastfeeding has the potential to provide stronger immunity, reduced risk of infections and resistance to childhood diseases.

“It will go a long way in enhancing the productivity of such employees, knowing that their children are in safe hands,’’ he said.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Ahmed Wase said natural breastmilk cannot be substituted with any other formula.

He referred the bill to the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity for further legislative actions.