By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim has declared that the federal government is placing renewed focus on strengthening families and addressing the needs of the boy-child as part of Nigeria’s broader social development agenda.
Speaking during the celebration of the International Family Day Picnic 2026, the minister said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had designated 2026 as the “Year of the Family and Social Development” in recognition of the critical role families play in nation building.
According to her, the initiative marks a new phase in Nigeria’s social development efforts aimed at building stronger homes, improving education and health outcomes, and promoting inclusive national growth.
“I want Nigerian families to know that truly it is family o’clock.
“We must all take advantage of this season and maximise the values that every family can harness to strengthen from within so that society itself can become stronger,” she said.
The minister described the celebration as a pilot initiative, expressing optimism that future commemorations would spread across communities nationwide.
“We envisage that by next year, every corner of our communities and society will be celebrating the Day of the Family.
“We want our families to become stronger so that we can have better health outcomes, better education outcomes and develop holistically as a nation,” she stated.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the president’s social development policies demonstrate a commitment to human capital development and inclusive governance.
She also commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, ahead of the planned Children’s Day celebration scheduled for next week, noting that children across the country are excited about the event.
She praised parents striving to balance caregiving responsibilities with economic realities, assuring Nigerians that the administration’s social agenda remains focused on improving family welfare and national development.
On the International Day of the Boy Child specifically, the minister said government is developing a policy framework focused on supporting boys, stressing that attention had historically been concentrated on women and girls.
She disclosed that the ministry had prioritiaed what she described as the “boy agenda,” emphasising the importance of raising boys to become responsible protectors and partners in the society.
