Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) has urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint a qualified Social Worker as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in the interest of the nation.
The association said this is necessary because it is the main ministry that has core mandate to promote social work and quality social services delivery in the country.
NASoW made these disclosures in a message addressed to Tinubu on his swearing in as the 16th President of Nigeria.
NASoW in a statement signed by its National President, Mashood Mustapha, said appointment of a social worker who has the required knowledge and skills to paddle the affairs of the ministry will go a long way to promote the humanitarian agenda of the new administration .
Mustapha in the statement made available to journalists through the National Public Relations Officer of the association, Musliudeen Adebayo, said the association is ready and fully prepared to work with the new administration in order to achieve its aims in all areas of human development.
He added that the association is enjoining Tinubu to appoint someone who is a social worker because of the ministry's strategic importance to the welfare of the citizens which is the main goal of this administration.
Mustapha added that the Nigerian Council for Social Work [Establishment ] Act, 2022 which was signed and gazetted during the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari was one of the gains of the association during the last administration.
He encouraged Tinubu to set another record by appointing a qualified social worker as minister for humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development.
He added that the association is also anxiously waiting for the time when the Nigerian Council for Social Work would be constituted.
"We are using this medium to congratulate our new President, Tinubu on his emergence as the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"We appeal to the new President to appoint a social worker as the minster for humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development. This is our ministry. It is the main ministry for social workers
"We advise the President to put a round peg in a round hole for the betterment of the country. Someone who has the required knowledge and skills in humanitarian work, disaster management and social development.
"We are also waiting for the time when the Nigerian Council for Social Work would be constituted. We are expecting the new President to appoint a minister who has the required knowledge of Social Work as we expect the minster to constitute the board as soon as possible.
"The Nigerian Council for Social Work [Establishment] Act 2022 has been gazetted. Our law has become act of parliament, this implies that a lot of good things are coming for the good people of Nigeria. The council is yet to be constituted, and when this is done, it will help to give more recognition to social work practice in Nigeria.
"The establishment of the council will create job opportunities and enabling environment for social workers to provide the much desired quality social services to the people of Nigeria and reduce the migration of social workers to other countries in quest for prosperity", he said.
