The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has urged unity within Nigeria’s social work community ahead of the full institutionalisation of the profession.
Addressing professional bodies, training institutions and development partners during a high-level strategic dialogue with key social work stakeholders in Abuja, the Minister declared that division within the sector threatens the protection and welfare of vulnerable citizens.
The Minister said the gathering was convened at a defining moment for the profession and the nation’s social development agenda.
“We did not convene this gathering merely for the exchange of pleasantries; we are here because the institutionalisation of social work in Nigeria demands it,” the Minister stated.
In a direct appeal for cohesion, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim said stakeholders must now rise above institutional differences for national interest.
Warning against continued fragmentation within the profession, Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the consequences of disunity would be borne by vulnerable Nigerians in urgent need of protection and care.
“You care; that is why you engaged, and that is precisely why this dialogue is both necessary and timely. We must be clear that a house divided cannot regulate a profession. If we carry our divisions forward, we risk failing the very people we are meant to serve: the child in need of protection, the woman facing violence, the elderly without care, and persons with disabilities seeking dignity. They cannot wait for us to resolve longstanding differences; they need a functional council now,” the Minister charged.
The Minister reaffirmed that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development remains central to the nation’s social protection architecture, stressing that its mandate extends beyond gender-focused interventions.
“It is important to emphasise that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is not just for women; it is for every Nigerian. By its very mandate, this Ministry is the home of social development,” she declared.
She linked the government’s renewed push for social development to the policy direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the administration had prioritised measurable social impact in 2026.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is deeply focused on social development as a cornerstone of national progress, and he has declared that 2026 is our year to deliver tangible results for all citizens,” the Minister said.
While commending pioneers, educators and professional associations for sustaining the identity and growth of social work practice in Nigeria over the years, she described the dialogue as a mission of healing, alignment and commitment.
“This achievement does not belong to any single group; it is a collective victory that we must now protect.”
The Minister further assured stakeholders of the Ministry’s political will to ensure the successful establishment of the Nigerian Council for Social Work on what she described as “a foundation of legitimacy and trust”.
She also called on all professional associations, institutions and partners to nominate “competent and credible representatives” in accordance with the provisions of the Act establishing the Council.
In a closing charge, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged stakeholders to prioritise national development and professional unity above personal interests and historical disagreements.
“History will not remember who won which argument but whether we had the courage to set aside our differences to strengthen social work practice in Nigeria. The Act provides the legal framework; this meeting must deliver the social contract.”
The strategic meeting of the “National Social Service Workforce Coordination Group on the Operationalisation of the Nigeria Council for Social Work (NCSW) Establishment Act No. 40, 2022” brought together major actors within Nigeria’s social work ecosystem to deliberate on professional regulation, collaboration and the operational take-off of the Nigerian Council for Social Work.
