In a major move to bridge the gap in the child protection workforce, 28 newly trained Auxiliary Social Workers graduated during a ceremony held at the Chambers of Elders Hall in the Calabar Municipal Local Government Council.
The intensive program, designed to combat and prevent violence against children at the grassroots, was delivered by the Department of Social Work, University of Calabar (UNICAL). The initiative was executed in collaboration with the Cross River State Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development, with vital funding and technical support from UNICEF.
The initiative directly addresses the critical shortage of professional social service personnel needed for effective child protection service delivery at the community level.
Speaking on behalf of Juliet Chiluwe, Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Victor Atuchukwu, a Child Protection Specialist, emphasized the strategic importance of the graduation. He noted that the newly certified workers will play an essential role in coordinating community-led responses to child abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
The graduation marks the second phase of a broader community mobilization effort. Following commitments made by the leadership of the Calabar Municipal Local Government Council, UNICEF previously supported state ministries to identify and train 290 critical stakeholders. These stakeholders – drawn from traditional and religious institutions, women and youth groups, primary healthcare workers, teachers, and local vigilante structures – were equipped to lead child protection advocacy within their respective households and neighborhoods.
To ensure these community structures function cohesively, the 28 graduates received additional specialized classroom training and supervised fieldwork from UNICAL lecturers, strictly adhering to the National Auxiliary Social Work Curriculum. Each graduate represents a distinct autonomous community within Calabar Municipal.
Representing the Chairman, the Secretary of Council, Comrade Iso Edim, expressed the local government’s continuous alignment with the program’s goals.
In its address, UNICEF commended the leadership of the Calabar Municipal Council and appealed to the Chairman to fulfill commitments to sustain the project. This includes providing monthly stipends to support the everyday operations of the workers, alongside routine monitoring and supervision.
The new Auxiliary Social Workers will operate directly under the supervision of the Council management structure and local Social Welfare Officers, who will funnel field reports directly to the State Ministry.
Dignitaries in attendance at the event included Dr. Blessing Ntamu, representing the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar; Florence Agbiji (Esq.), Director General of the Centre for Citizens’ Rights and Office of the Public Defender, representing the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Mr. Patrick Edi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare & Community Development, representing the supervising Commissioner; and Prof. Mike Ushie Anake, Head of the Department of Social Work at UNICAL.
UNICAL and its state partners expressed mutual readiness for future collaborations to expand the auxiliary workforce across all local government areas in Cross River State, aiming for a future free of violence against women and children.
