NIC Welcomes FG’s Care Economy Agenda, Launches National Initiative to Professionalise Caregiving in Nigeria

Timescope News 

The National Institute of Caregivers (NIC) has announced a major national initiative to professionalise caregiving across Nigeria, positioning the sector as a critical component of the country's social and economic development .

The initiative, unveiled by NIC Director-General Olusan Victor, comes as the Federal Government intensifies its focus on the care economy. In February 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared the year the "Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria," placing families and social development at the centre of national policy . This was reinforced in May when the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, declared the care economy a national priority during the 2026 National Caregivers Summit in Abuja .

A Four-Pillar Strategy

The NIC's initiative will focus on four interconnected areas:

1. Professional Caregiver Development: Strengthening education, competency development, practical training, certification, internship pathways, and continuing professional development .

2. Care Standards and Quality: Developing professional practice frameworks, caregiver ethics, safeguarding principles, and quality standards for care provided in homes, communities, and care facilities .

3. Research, Advocacy and Policy: Promoting evidence-based research on Nigeria's caregiving workforce while engaging policymakers and stakeholders on appropriate policy development .

4. Public Awareness and Stakeholder Engagement: Expanding public conversations through media engagements, radio and television programmes, webinars, and educational campaigns .

Building Towards 2027

The Institute is currently developing its National Care Agenda 2027, a strategic programme designed to support the continued professionalisation of caregiving in Nigeria . The agenda will focus on caregiver development, care standards, research, policy engagement, public awareness, institutional partnerships, career development, and innovation .

NIC plans to use the remainder of 2026 to begin public conversations, stakeholder engagements, and professional-development activities that will provide the foundation for a broader programme in 2027 .

A Call for National Collaboration

Victor emphasised that the development of the care economy requires coordinated action across government, education, healthcare, the private sector, civil society, and professional organisations .

"Government cannot build the care economy alone, and neither can any individual organisation," Victor stated. "We are not asking any single institution to carry this responsibility. We are inviting stakeholders to build it together" .

The NIC is inviting organisations and individuals to collaborate on caregiver education, research, care standards, public awareness, community programmes, technology innovation, and policy dialogue .

Beyond Healthcare: A National Economic Opportunity

Victor noted that a stronger care economy has implications far beyond healthcare, contributing to employment, skills development, family support, and opportunities for women and young people . "Every Nigerian will either need care, provide care, or support someone who does," he said. "The question is whether we will continue to treat caregiving as an informal responsibility or build the professional systems required to make care safer, more dignified, more accountable and more sustainable" .

About the National Institute of Caregivers (NIC)

The National Institute of Caregivers is a professional caregiving institution committed to advancing caregiver education, professional development, standards, research, advocacy, and quality care in Nigeria