The Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria has cautioned Nigerians against employing under age children in their homes.
The National President of the institute, Prof. Oluyemisi John made the call at a media briefing in Abuja.
She said that according to the International Labour Organisation, any child below the age of fifteen, should not be allowed to work.
She said that employing underage house help is now punishable by law.
She pointed out that the institute is working with the standard regulation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on who qualifies to be a worker.
She urged the people to report any person found employing an under aged person as a house help to the institute.
“According to Act No. 25 of 2022, Social Work means an applied or behavioral profession that simply promotes human rights, social justice, peace and conflict resolutions, engendering social change, problem solving and sustainable development in human relationship focusing on the empowerment and liberation of people and enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, groups and communities, and utilising the theories of human behavior and social system,“ She said.
Prof Yemisi also commended the National Assembly for ensuring the swift passage of the bill, and also expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, for assenting to the Act
“The Institute is delighted to inform Policymakers, Legislators, Heads of MDAs, Civil Society groups, International Development Agencies, Concerned Professionals and the general public of the current position of the law in respect to the profession of social work in Nigeria as enshrined in the Act establishing the Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria (Act No. 25 of 2022) for the purpose of registration, regulation and control of the profession in Nigeria.
Further, let me carefully express profound gratitude to the House of Representatives Press corp for according to the Institute this magnitude of support from inception when the Bill was conceived and carefully making bold statements on the need for the institutionalization of this practice as a profession to be reckoned with in Nigeria. For this, we are deeply grateful,“ Prof John said.
She said that a closer and professional look at the general society shows that the difference between the advanced world and the developing world lies mainly in the level of social work practiced, hence, the importance of the profession in Nigeria.
” The role of social workers in our society is to:
* Identify people and communities in need of help
* Assess clients’ needs, situations, strengths and support networks to determine their goals
* Help clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives, such as illness, divorce or unemployment
* Research into, refer and advocate for community resources, such as food stamps, childcare and health care to assist and improve a client’s well-being
* Respond to crisis situations such as child abuse and mental health emergencies
* Follow up on clients to ensure that their situations have improved
* Maintain case files and records
* Develop and evaluate programs and services to ensure that basic client needs are met
* Provide psychotherapy services
With these in mind, Social Workers continue to ensure that social problems are addressed; engage people from different levels through empowerment processes in order to help them to reach their fullest potentials thereby shaping our society for the better,“ Prof. John noted.
She added that for over a decade of existence in Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria is set to reposition the profession taking into account the tremendous strides of heroes past in ensuring the practice gains her pride of place in Nigeria and more important among disciplines of interest in contemporary times.
