Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development has repositioned Nigeria’s care economy as a strategic catalyst for inclusive growth, social protection and national development.

The minister, who spoke at the 2026 National Caregivers Summit marking National Children’s Day in Abuja, said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pursuing a people-centred governance model under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He unveiled a policy-driven framework designed to strengthen families, protect vulnerable groups and create economic opportunities through structured caregiving systems nationwide.

According to her, the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention Programme was designed to guarantee that social protection and human capital interventions reach all the 774 local government areas across the country.

She said: “It is a historic transition from seeing social development as charity to seeing it as a national economic imperative.

The minister said President Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Families and Social Development” was an indication of government’s recognition of the family as “the first school of values, the first line of security and the foundational economic unit of society”.

“When we secure the home, we secure the future of Nigeria,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim disclosed that the ministry had embarked on institutional reforms to strengthen child protection systems and improve social inclusion mechanisms across the country.

“We have intensified efforts towards the full domestication and implementation of the Child Rights Act across the Federation and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act to ensure stronger implementation,” she said.

There were already National Costed Action Plans for some areas such as violence against children, child marriage and exploitation against women and girls with measurable targets, clear timelines and sustainable financing mechanisms, the minister said.

The ministry was working with relevant agencies to leverage the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure to digitise social development data and track vulnerabilities in real time to improve planning and response systems, she said.

“We are leveraging the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) to digitize social development data so that we can track in real-time educational gaps, vulnerabilities, and exclusion indicators so that no Nigerian child or vulnerable household remains invisible in our development architecture,” she said.

The minister pointed to demographic pressures on national care systems, saying Nigeria’s fast-growing youth and elderly populations need urgent investment in social infrastructure.

“More than 6.5 million Nigerians are now 65 years and older,” she said, adding that women and girls still carry the disproportionate burden of unpaid care responsibilities. “No country can be prosperous sustainably if a big part of its productive population is held back by invisible and unrecognized care responsibilities,” she said.

The minister said the government was now “officially recognising that caregiving is not an invisible domestic obligation, but a vital professional sector worthy of structure, standards, investment and dignity.”

She said the ministry was scaling up nationwide training and certification programmes to professionalise caregiving services, through partnerships with stakeholders such as the Caregiver Nigeria Society.

“Our aim is to train thousands of Nigerian youths with employable and globally relevant skills in childcare, geriatric care, special needs support, and community caregiving services. “By formalising the care sector we are creating pathways for sustainable employment and at the same time allowing more women to actively participate in the economy.

The minister further underscored the ongoing joint work with the World Bank on the AGILE Project to expand educational access and digital literacy for over 8.6 million girls in 18 states.

“This is not just about education, it is about breaking cycles of poverty, fostering inclusion and equipping Nigerian girls to become leaders, innovators and contributors to national development in the digital age,” she said.

She said the ministry is at an advanced stage of establishing dedicated institutional departments for the Care Economy and Women’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation in collaboration with the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Humanitarian Affairs.

Blessing Adesinyo, CEO, Caring in Africa, said the care economy was critical for workforce participation and economic growth.

“Care as infrastructure: a national imperative for growth,” she added.

Adesinyo quoted UN Women as saying that unpaid care work around the world, carried out mostly by women, was worth $11.7 trillion.

“Do the maths that is about 10 countries, the GDP of this country that women provide for free.”

She explained that Nigeria is at a demographic and economic inflection point and is expected to be the world’s third most populous country after India and China.

“We add nearly 10 million babies to our country every year. And for those 10 million, we have no structure of how they will actually feed, educate and add value to our economy.” “We have 10 million people. Nigeria is growing every year.

Beatrice Eyong, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS said caregiving systems were important for women’s participation in politics, careers and economic life.

“For a young woman who wants to get into a career, who wants to get into the economic space, who wants to get into political participation and representation, they need care,” she said.

Eyong assured that UN Women would continue to provide technical support to push Nigeria’s care economy agenda forward.

Godwin Chinedu Odo, speaking on behalf of the UNICEF Nigeria Country Director, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to supporting care reforms and child protection systems in collaboration with the ministry.

Odo said UNICEF had contributed to the development of alternative care guidelines and implementation strategies that were guiding the provision of care services in Nigeria.

At UNICEF we believe that the best place for a child is at home. “We encourage that children should be at home with their loved ones and alternative care service provision should only be as a last resort,” he said.

Oghogho Musa, wife of the Minister of Defence, said the summit was a good starting point and was timely.

“I want to congratulate the Honourable Minister for bringing this on board because it’s really a big economy, and so we are urging all of you to be part of this movement,” she said.

The summit also witnessed the unveiling of the six-part book series, The Etiquette Adventure, written by Etienying Akpan Usong of the Etiquette Africa Initiative.

Stakeholders welcomed the move, but urged swift implementation of reforms to empower families, safeguard children and unleash economic opportunities.

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Adebayo Adelabu, an aide to the Minister of Power, has denied reports that top members of the All Progressives Congress asked the minister to drop out of the Oyo State governorship race.

Femi Awogboro, an aide, said the reports were false and that former governors Adebisi Akande and Olusegun Osoba still support Adelabu’s goal.

“Chief Akande and Chief Osoba have a lot of faith in Adelabu’s ability to support progressive ideas in Oyo State. “Since he left the Central Bank of Nigeria to pursue a career in politics, they have always supported and encouraged him,” he said.

Awogboro also denied that APC South-West leaders met in Lagos to talk about Adelabu’s desire to be governor.

He said that no such meeting happened and that the reports were wrong.

The aide said that the minister is still very popular in Oyo State because of the good things he has done for society.

“Adelabu has made a lot of people’s lives better.” “He can’t say enough about how much he helps young people, widows, and people who aren’t as well off in the state.”

He also said that even though people have tried to discredit him, the minister is still getting more popular.

Awogboro told people who were spreading false information to stop, saying that these actions would not stop Adelabu from reaching his goal.

He also told news organizations to check their stories before they publish them.

He said, “I ask media companies to be careful and always check the truth of any information before they publish it.”

The aide asked people in Oyo State to keep supporting the minister and said they believed he would be a good leader if he were elected.

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The Civil Rights Network on Accountability, CRNA, has asked the leadership of the National Assembly to pass a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, citing a “total collapse” of fiscal leadership and budget execution.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by Chief Adekunle Ogunsiwaju, president of the group, and Nkiru Okoye, its national secretary, CRNA said the inability of both officials to implement “a single percentage” of the 2025 budget several months into the fiscal year amounted to gross incompetence and a breach of public trust.
The group said the situation represents a dangerous failure at the very heart of government, warning that the finance ministry and the office of the accountant-general have become major obstacles to governance rather than instruments for delivery.

“The continued failure of the minister of finance and the accountant-general of the federation to commence meaningful implementation of the 2025 budget is indefensible,” the statement reads.
“It shows clear incompetence, absence of coordination, and a troubling lack of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.”

CRNA said budget implementation is not a ceremonial exercise but the backbone of governance, adding that delays at the level of the finance ministry and treasury translate directly into stalled projects, unpaid obligations, rising public frustration and deepening economic hardship.
“When those entrusted with managing the nation’s finances cannot activate even the most basic elements of a duly passed and signed budget, it is no longer an administrative lapse; it is a governance crisis. Nigerians are entitled to ask what exactly the minister of finance and the accountant-general have been doing while the country bleeds,” the statement added.
The group warned that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain both officials in office despite what it described as “persistent and glaring failures” could have severe consequences for the government’s credibility and economic agenda.

“If the president continues to keep them in office as minister of finance and accountant-general, then Nigerians should prepare for the March 31 deadline for partial implementation of the 2025 budget to be in complete and total shambles. You cannot deliver fiscal discipline or economic reform with officials who have shown neither urgency nor capacity,” the group said.
The CRNA accused both officials of presiding over a system marked by opacity and poor communication, arguing that the absence of clear budget execution timelines and public reporting undermines confidence in government.
“There is no transparency as to cash releases, no accountability on budget performance, and no credible explanation to Nigerians for the paralysis we are witnessing. This level of dysfunction would not be tolerated in any serious democracy,” the citizens group declared.

The group urged the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to exercise their oversight powers decisively, insisting that a vote of no confidence would send a strong signal that fiscal recklessness and administrative inertia will not be excused.
“The National Assembly must rise to its constitutional duty and act in defence of the Nigerian people. Passing a vote of no confidence is not an act of hostility; it is an act of responsibility when critical institutions of state have failed,” the group announced.
CRNA warned that continued budget paralysis would deepen poverty, stall infrastructure projects and further erode public trust in government, particularly at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with inflation and unemployment.
“This is not about politics; it is about competence and accountability. Nigeria cannot afford a finance ministry and treasury leadership that have become symbols of delay, confusion and failure,” the statement added.

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Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has said that there were political undertone to the abductions of schoolchildren in the past few weeks.

He was speaking on kidnapping of schoolchildren by bandits in Nigeria.

“For more than 20 months there were no abductions in any of our schools. But please, let us face the facts here. What happened in the past few weeks, there are some political undertones to it.
“There were coordinated attacks on the sanctity of our country. They want to embarrass this government, but people don’t know President Bola Tinubu. One thing the President detests the most is playing politics with a thing as this,” he said.

Recall that at least 24 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a Government Secondary School in Kebbi. They were later said to be released.
In the same way, over 200 schoolchildren were whisked away by bandits from a Catholic private school in Niger state out of which 50 reportedly escaped and were reunited with their families.

The Federal Government last week announced the release of all the remaining schoolchildren.

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Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), has narrated how he believes divine intervention played a decisive role in his rise to national leadership, saying God elevated him despite overwhelming odds.

Musa shared the testimony during a recent church service at Conquerors Global Assembly in Abuja.
The service was monitored by Church Times and later shared on its website on Sunday, with video clips subsequently circulating on social media.

The minister attended the service with his wife, during which he expressed appreciation to the church’s founder, Bishop David Abioye, and his wife, and offered prayers for the continued expansion of the ministry.
While addressing the congregation, Musa encouraged worshippers to remain hopeful, stating, “because we serve a living God. He will never give up on us.”

Reflecting on events over the past year, he said, “We give God the glory for what has happened this year.
“Even when the enemy thought they were putting us down, they did not know God was going to lift us up.”
“In their small mind they conspired and thought they had won. But as long as you have God as your pillar you will win,” he said.

Describing Bishop Abioye as a close associate, the defence minister said trials are essential for personal growth, noting that difficulties help to build strength.
He added, “If you are never challenged you can never improve in life. As Nigerians, we know we are strong but we are stronger together with God Almighty. Nigerians are winners. We must continue to pray for our leaders and our country.”
Musa also warned against constantly portraying the nation in a negative light, stressing that such narratives hinder development.

According to him, “If you continue to talk down on your country you don’t mean well.”
He further urged Christians to reflect their faith through their actions, emphasising that true influence comes from living out one’s beliefs.

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The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations, CNCSOs, have jointly called for the immediate resignation of Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adelabu Adebayo, citing incompetence and failure to address the country’s ongoing electricity crisis.

In a statement jointly issued by James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, and Alhaji Ali Abacha, National Secretary of CNCSOs, on Sunday, the coalition criticized Minister Adelabu’s tenure, describing him as “a round peg in a square hole.”

The groups argued that the Minister lacks the capacity to effectively manage the power sector, pointing to persistent electricity shortages that have plagued the country for decades.

According to the coalition, over 40% of Nigerians remain without access to electricity, while those connected to the national grid endure inconsistent power supply ranging between 2,000MW and 4,000MW—figures that have stagnated since the 1980s.

The statement further decried the economic repercussions of the power crisis, including business closures, job losses, and hindered economic growth.

The groups also faulted Minister Adelabu for not leveraging the Nigerian Electricity Act of 2023, which allows decentralized electricity provision and public-private partnerships to improve the sector.

“His inability to attract local and international investment has worsened Nigeria’s electricity challenges and undermined economic recovery,” the statement said.

The call for his resignation follows a recent report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, which documented three total grid collapses and two partial collapses in the last quarter of 2024.

Despite these failures, Nigerians, according to the coalition, paid a record N509.84 billion to electricity distribution companies in the same period, an increase from the N466.69 billion spent in the previous quarter. In total, the country experienced 12 grid collapses in 2024, further highlighting the depth of the crisis.

The CNPP and CNCSOs, also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeploy Minister Adelabu to a different ministry within seven days, questioning his qualifications for the power sector.

They noted that his background lies in finance, hospitality, entertainment, agriculture, and real estate rather than energy management.

“His appointment appears to be a case of political patronage rather than merit, and his performance has validated our concerns,” the statement read.

Beyond the power sector, the coalition expressed broader dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, arguing that they have led to increased hardship and discontent among Nigerians.

While acknowledging the President’s commitment to national development, the groups warned that incompetent appointees threaten these efforts and erode public trust.

“The power sector is too vital to Nigeria’s progress to be left in the hands of individuals without the necessary expertise and vision. Minister Adelabu must resign or be reassigned immediately to prevent further damage to Nigeria’s economy and the well-being of its citizens,” the statement concluded.

The coalition vowed to continue monitoring and evaluating government ministries, departments, and agencies, ensuring that they serve the best interests of the Nigerian people.

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A fresh political storm has erupted within the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid accusations that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, mismanaged party funds and made misleading claims regarding financial donations.

In a statement issued by the Zamfara APC Secretary, Hon. Mansur Aminu Khalifa, the party dismissed Matawalle’s claim of donating ₦500 million to APC supporters as a fabrication, challenging him to provide proof of how the funds were distributed. The statement accused Matawalle’s faction of peddling falsehoods to manipulate party members.

“The claim that Minister Matawalle donated ₦500 million to Zamfara APC supporters is misleading. Even Bashir Ataka, the former Welfare Secretary under Tukur Danfulani, has debunked this narrative,” the statement read.

The controversy within the state APC escalated further as Khalifa asserted that Tukur Danfulani, the current state chairman, was no longer recognized by the party, insisting that his suspension remains valid. Consequently, he declared all actions taken by Danfulani and his executives as illegitimate.

Beyond financial disputes, the party also accused Matawalle and his associates of diverting relief materials, including 12,000 bags of rice donated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to APC supporters in Zamfara. Additionally, allegations surfaced regarding the misappropriation of ₦50 million donated by President Tinubu for victims of armed banditry and fire disasters, with claims that the funds have not reached the intended beneficiaries.

The statement praised Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, a prominent APC leader in the state, for his unwavering support for party members and his contributions to President Tinubu’s 2023 election victory. It described Jaji as a key political force in Zamfara’s APC structure.

Further highlighting Matawalle’s diminishing influence, the statement referenced an incident in which his convoy was allegedly stoned by residents during his recent visit to Zamfara, underscoring the growing opposition to his leadership.

With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the statement warned that Matawalle’s political relevance in Zamfara was declining, urging President Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee to be wary of his actions.

Meanwhile, the party reaffirmed its support for the Isiyaka Ajiya Anka-led APC faction, emphasizing that it remains the legitimate leadership in Zamfara until a new congress is held.

As the battle for political dominance within the Zamfara APC intensifies, party factions continue to trade accusations, setting the stage for a prolonged power struggle in the state.

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