The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for sustained investment in Nigeria’s social service workforce, describing it as a strategic investment in welfare, child protection and the country’s economic resilience.
UNICEF representative at the 26th National Council on Women Affairs, Child Advancement and Social Development held in Jalingo, Taraba State, Dr Godwin Odo made the call in a presentation titled “Investing in Nigeria’s Social Workforce: A Case for Welfare, Child Protection and Economic Resilience”.
The Child Protection Specialist called for coordinated action by the Nigerian state and local governments, communities, professional bodies, the private sector and development partners to finance, professionalise, deploy and support the workforce.
His presentation showed the urgency for investment is underscored by the scale of deprivation facing Nigerian children, with 67.5 percent of children aged zero to 17 years being in multidimensionally poor families, while six in ten children are experiencing some form of violence.
Dr Odo further highlighted the need for a stronger workforce capable of taking services to children and families, noting that fewer than five in every 100 children who report violence receive support.
Pointing to the economic cost of inaction, he said “childhood deprivation costs Nigeria an estimated ₦15.1 trillion to ₦17.2 trillion annually, equivalent to about 3.5 to four per cent of Gross Domestic Product, while lost earnings alone account for 1.07 per cent of GDP.”
His presentation therefore made the case for the social workforce across three interconnected areas: welfare, child protection and economic resilience.
On welfare, social workers identify vulnerable children and families, assess their needs, link them to health, education, social protection and civil registration services, and follow up cases to ensure support reaches households.
For child protection, social workers provide prevention, early identification, case management, psychosocial support, referrals, recovery, reintegration and follow-up.
On economic resilience, Dr Odo linked early intervention and family support to the protection of human capital, prevention of prolonged crises and reduced pressure on justice and care systems.
His presentation identified a major workforce gap, estimating that 47,073 additional posts are required to meet national needs, with closing the gap projected to cost ₦98.3 billion annually.
He stressed that investment must go beyond recruitment and salaries, noting that “salary is not a service” and that effective service delivery also requires supervision, transport, communications, case-management tools, CPIMS access, continuing professional development and safe working conditions.
Odo identified six priority investment areas: workforce data and ratios; recruitment and remuneration; competency-based training; supervision and wellbeing; tools, transport and technology; and coordination and accountability.
His presentation also pointed to existing foundations, including the Nigerian Council for Social Work (Establishment) Act, 2022, which strengthened Auxiliary Social Workers and Community-Based Child Protection Structures, and the Costed National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children.
He described a stronger social service workforce as “the bridge from national commitment to community-level protection, welfare and economic resilience”, urging Nigeria to “finance, professionalise, deploy and support Nigeria’s social service workforce now”.
The UNICEF Child Protection Specialist stressed that investment in the workforce should be viewed not merely as expenditure on social protection but as an investment in welfare, child protection, human capital and Nigeria’s broader economic resilience.
Dr Odo concluded with a direct advocacy message: “Invest in the workforce that reaches children before harm becomes a crisis.”
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