The Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the National Council for Social Work [Establishment] Bill 2022. 

The association applauded Mr Buhari in a statement on Thursday, stating that the law would strengthen social work practice in Nigeria. 

Mashood Mustapha, President of the Association, who signed the statement, noted that the law will help to legalise social work practice through an act of parliament in the nation. 

A copy of the statement was obtained by Peoples Gazette through the spokesperson of the association, Musliudeen Adebayo, on Thursday. 

“We commend, applaud and salute President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting the National Council for Social Work [Establishment] Bill (2022). We also commend the National Assembly over the passage of the bill into law. 

“The new law seeks to establish the National Council for Social Work that would regulate social work practice in Nigeria and the Council’s activities will be regulated by a governing body that will be appointed by the Federal Government,” the statement read in part. 

“The council, according to the law shall determine what standards of knowledge and skills are to be attained by persons seeking to become members of the profession of social work and review those standards from time to time, as circumstances demand.”

The National Assembly, on June 28, 2022, concurrently passed the Bill into law, while Mr Buhari signed the National Council for Social Work [Establishment] Bill 2022 into law on December 6, 2022. 

While enumerating the various roles of social workers in the country, Mr Mustapha explained that the roles would be done effectively now that the law has been signed. 

“Across the globe, social workers perform various functions to individuals, families, groups, communities and organisations who are in distress, the homeless, persons with disabilities, aged, the sick, the mentally ill, juvenile, and children and Nigeria should not be an exception.”

“Social workers are found in hospitals, family courts, schools, police formations, rehabilitation centres, correctional facilities, old people homes, NGOs, and civil society organisations among others providing psychosocial support, emotional support and counselling for individuals and groups to overcome their social problems to realize their potentials and function effectively in their societies,” he added. 

Mr Mustapha added in the statement, “These roles cannot be performed by social workers effectively without a regulatory framework. The law is the regulatory framework that will regulate, legalise, monitor and control the activities of social workers in the country the way it is done in other countries.”