Ministry Charges Auxiliary Social Workers on Vigilant Child Protection
Makurdi, Benue State
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare has issued a strong charge to Auxiliary Social Workers (ASWs) operating in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and host communities, urging unwavering commitment to their core mandate of shielding children from all forms of abuse.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon. (Mrs). Theresa Odachi Ikwue, delivered the charge while receiving a delegation of newly certified ASWs in her office on a courtesy visit. The workers, part of a cohort of 60 IDP-based ASWs trained and certified by the Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, visited to appreciate the Ministry’s capacity-building initiative and to strengthen collaboration for enhanced child protection across Benue State.
In her address, Commissioner Ikwue underscored the critical nature of their social works, emphasizing the need to deploy at least two social workers in every council ward to decisively curb the scourge of child abuse and SGBVs. She offered a significant assurance, stating that the Ministry would actively engage with His Excellency, Governor Rev. Fr. Dr Hyacinth Alia, to explore the possibility of transitioning the volunteers from their current status to formal civil servants.
“Remain steadfast in your humanitarian service. The government is aware of your dedication and is committed to supporting your efforts,” Mrs. Ikwue stated.
She further directed the Ministry’s Director of Child Development, Mrs. Janet Daagba, and the Director of Social Welfare, Mrs. Eunice Tachia, to develop and implement new strategies to identify additional pathways for combating the menace of child rights violations.
The Commissioner extended commendations to Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia for fostering an enabling environment for such training initiatives. She also expressed profound gratitude to UNICEF, through its Child Protection Specialist at the Enugu Field Office, Mr. Victor Atuchukwu, for the sustained technical and material support that made the training possible.
To bolster the workers’ effectiveness, Mrs. Ikwue announced that plans are underway to train the ASWs on utilizing the Ministry’s digital reporting portal mwaswportal.benuestate.gov.ng for improved case management, coordination and response. The Ministry will also institute regular monthly review meetings to ensure effective service delivery and address field challenges.
Speaking earlier on behalf of the visiting Auxiliary Social Workers, Mrs. Patience Otsepa from Nyiman – Agber upper Community in Makurdi
expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to societal development. She, however, appealed for the provision of official identification cards to safeguard workers from harassment while performing their duties.
Mrs. Otsepa also raised concerns over escalating cases of paternal abandonment and increasing youth involvement in fraudulent activities, calling for intensified community sensitization campaigns. She appealed for the provision of operational vehicles to enhance prompt response to emergency child protection calls.
This latest cohort complements the Ministry’s recent deployment at the end of December 2025, where 46 Auxiliary Social Workers – Child Protection Officers (ASW-CPOs), representing two per LGA, were deployed across Benue’s 23 Local Government Areas. This brings the total number of newly deployed social workers in the state to 106—a lan
dmark achievement in strengthening the state’s child protection architecture under the leadership of Hon. Mrs. Theresa Odachi Ikwue.
Credit: Ochanya G. Okoh