In a major boost to grassroots child protection and community welfare, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have successfully graduated 74 auxiliary social workers in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The intensive six-month certificate programme, designed to bridge the gap in qualified frontline social personnel, was executed in partnership with the Cross River State Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Sankwala on Thursday 18 June, 2026, Victor Atuchukwu, a Child Protection Specialist representing Juliet Chiluwe, the Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, praised the rigorous nature of the training. He emphasized that local funding from UNICEF is inherently tied to the mandate given by the communities they serve.
READ ALSO: UNICEF, UNICAL Partner to Graduate 28 Auxiliary Social Workers to Combat Child Violence in Calabar
“Even if it is 10 kobo that is coming from UNICEF to support any activity anywhere, that money actually belongs to the children of Obanliku,” Atuchukwu stated. “You have a profession that is very delicate. You are more like the link between suicide and staying alive in terms of what people experience every day.”
He lauded UNICAL for accelerating the typically years-long social work curriculum into a specialized six-month framework to address immediate structural shortages. He noted that out of more than 60 communities across 12 states managed by the Enugu field office, Obanliku has demonstrated outstanding cooperation, largely due to the dedication of local coordinators and the political commitment of the local government leadership.
Atuchukwu pointed out that Obanliku is one of only a handful of local governments in Cross River, including Calabar Municipal, Calabar South, Yakurr, Obubra, and Bekwarra, to have signed formal commitments to institutionalize child protection frameworks.
The Executive Chairman of Obanliku Local Government Area, Hon. Sunny Ayang, expressed immense pride in the graduates, noting that their character and training reflect the high standards of UNICAL. Addressing the cohort, Ayang announced plans to integrate the new social workers into future local government initiatives and urged them to remain separate from corrupt practices.
He specifically acknowledged three of his current political appointees who completed the programme, highlighting that they would serve as crucial facilitators for future state-led social interventions.
Dr. Blessing Ntamu, who represented the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong, urged the graduates to protect the integrity of the institution by serving as selfless ambassadors.
Ntamu cautioned the graduates against exploiting the very people they were trained to protect, reminding them that social work is inherently a helping profession rather than a commercial venture.
“The relationships you create while doing this job are going to speak for you in the future,” Ntamu said, drawing from personal professional experiences where unpaid, dedicated service eventually yielded life-changing international opportunities.
With the graduation of the Obanliku cohort, the ambassadors are expected to immediately deploy across local communities, establishing a vital defense system for women and children, while neighboring local governments look to replicate the pilot framework.
