Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has said the country’s future depends largely on how well families, caregivers, women, and children are supported through inclusive social development policies.
She revealed this on Monday at the 2026 National Caregivers Summit held in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 National Children’s Day celebration.
Speaking on the theme, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” the Minister said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has placed greater emphasis on people-focused development and social protection across the country.
She noted that the Federal Government has declared 2026 as the “Year of Families and Social Development,” describing families as the foundation for national stability and growth.
According to her, the Ministry is strengthening the implementation of the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act while also deploying digital systems to track educational gaps and vulnerabilities affecting Nigerian children and households.
The Minister expressed concern over the burden of unpaid caregiving placed mostly on women and girls, saying many are forced to sacrifice education, careers, and economic opportunities to care for children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
She announced that the Federal Government is partnering with the Caregiver Nigeria Society and other stakeholders to professionalise caregiving through nationwide training and certification programmes in childcare, elderly care, special needs support, and community caregiving.
She added that the initiative would create employment opportunities for youths and support women’s participation in the economy.
The Minister further disclosed that the World Bank-supported AGILE Project is currently expanding access to education and digital literacy for over 8.6 million girls across 18 states.
In a goodwill message, UN Women praised the Ministry for prioritising discussions around the care economy, describing the initiative as important and timely for national development.
The organisation stressed that women need stronger support systems to succeed in leadership, politics, and economic activities, while reaffirming its commitment to providing technical support and collaboration toward building a more inclusive society.
Other development partners present at the summit included UNICEF, ETF, AOTCOG, and the Etiquette Africa Initiative.