The National Institute of Caregivers has unveiled a national initiative to strengthen professional caregiving in the country.

The institute’s director-general, Olusan Victor, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, welcomed the federal government’s growing focus on Nigeria’s care economy.

Mr Victor said that the institute’s announcement comes at a significant moment for Nigeria’s social-development agenda. He stated that in February 2026, President Bola Tinubu declared 2026 the ‘Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria’.

He added that Mr Tinubu also directed coordinated action across all levels of government, placing families, women and social development at the centre of national development.

He further recalled that in May, the government, through the minister of women affairs and social development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, also declared the care economy a national priority during the 2026 National Caregivers Summit in Abuja.

“The federal government also announced plans for nationwide training and certification initiatives in childcare, geriatric care, special-needs support and community caregiving services.

“It equally highlighted the growing need for sustainable caregiving structures as Nigeria’s population and social needs change,” he said.

Mr Victor said the NIC believes these developments represent an important opportunity for Nigeria to build a more coordinated and professional caregiving ecosystem.

He said that the NIC is positioning itself to contribute to this emerging national agenda by bringing together professional education, competency development, care standards, research, public awareness and stakeholder engagement.

According to him, professionalising caregiving is not only about training people to provide care, but it also requires appropriate standards, ethical practice, practical experience and continuing professional development.

The director-general stressed that the institute believes developing a professional caregiving sector has implications far beyond healthcare, adding that a stronger care economy could contribute to employment and skills development.

He added that the care economy could also support families, create opportunities for women and young people and improve the quality of support available to older persons and vulnerable populations.

This, he said, would strengthen the social infrastructure on which productive communities depend.

(NAN)