Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to integrating family-focused strategies into national development policies—an initiative that is now gaining international recognition.
Speaking during the ministerial session of the ongoing International Family Forum (IFF) in Türkiye, which features participation from 26 countries, the minister highlighted Nigeria’s deliberate efforts to reposition the care economy by strengthening caregiving systems and protecting vulnerable populations.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jonathan Eze, Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, families have been placed at the heart of national development, marking a significant policy shift for the country.
She acknowledged the multiple challenges families face in today’s rapidly evolving world, including urbanization, digital exposure, economic pressures, migration, population growth, humanitarian crises, health pandemics, and shifting societal values that continue to redefine the sanctity and structure of family life. She explained that these realities have compelled the Nigerian government to invest collectively in family-oriented policies that are both protective and transformative.
Addressing the theme of the forum, “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated that it underscores the global effort to promote sustainable development through family-based policy frameworks. She emphasized that Nigeria is proud to be a part of that dialogue and is taking bold steps to lead by example.
She explained that Nigeria has developed the National Framework for Family Cohesion to address global challenges confronting families, presenting it as a model for integrating family-centered policies and interventions. She also spoke about the National Family Strengthening and Development Programme, a community-led initiative aimed at tackling the root causes of poverty, domestic violence, and family disruptions. In addition, she said that a Committee for Family Cohesion has been set up to support the implementation of this framework.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim further highlighted the Nigerian for Women Programme, which is designed to enhance the protection of women across the country while strengthening their roles within families and communities to foster overall societal development.
To the applause of delegates, the minister announced the introduction of the National Guidelines for Alternative Care for Children, a key policy aimed at ensuring that vulnerable children receive appropriate and quality care. She noted that these guidelines complement Nigeria’s recently launched National Plan of Action on Ending Violence Against Children.
The minister urged participants to look beyond the challenges and consider the opportunities to co-create solutions that protect and empower families in an increasingly interconnected world. She stressed that globalization should not erode family values but should instead serve as a platform to promote inclusive, adaptable, and sustainable models that reinforce cultural dignity.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with other countries to develop an international framework aimed at promoting family resilience. She expressed Nigeria’s support for the adoption of a joint declaration on safeguarding and strengthening families and endorsed presenting this collective vision at multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, as a unified global call for family-centered governance.
In concluding her remarks, the minister called on multilateral institutions to scale up investments in family-oriented policies, establish dedicated funding mechanisms for family-centered social protection, and integrate family well-being into the broader sustainable development agenda. She described this as a critical step toward achieving shared global development goals.
