By Esther Onyegbula

Social services organisation ADABA Initiatives has called on the federal government to enforce policies and practices that promote better work-family cohesion and integration. This was part of the deliberations reached at the High-Level Breakfast Dialogue hosted by ADABA Initiatives in commemoration of the International Day of Families, held recently in Lagos.

The event, themed “Utilising Policy Towards Productive Employment and Decent Work for All Families – Lessons from the Private Sector,” brought together critical stakeholders in the social services and care industry to explore emerging solutions to harmonious work-family life.

Principal Consultant at ADABA Initiatives, Mrs. Fabia Ogunmekan, noted that families are the core of every nation and practices that enable people to maintain a healthy balance between their professional roles and family life should be implemented in public governance. She added that collaboration between public and private sectors is critical to building more robust and progressive work-family systems across the country.

“This year’s International Day of Families, themed ‘Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development,’ reminds us of the shared responsibility we all have to shape systems that support families to thrive. The government has a critical role to play in setting the pace and standard and can lead by example through implementing family-oriented policies such as paid parental leave, flexible work options, and investment in care infrastructure. The government can also encourage public-private partnerships to ensure workplace policies reflect the evolving realities of family life and keep pace with demographic changes, acknowledging intergenerational dynamics, diverse family structures, and the need for inclusive protections,” she said.

During the plenary session, Founder of The Nanny Academy, Mrs. Amara Agim, noted that while COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of work, modern families require care systems that allow professionals to grow in their careers while still meeting the emotional and psychological needs of their families. Therefore, Agim emphasized the need for both the public and private sectors to collaborate in making critical investments in the care industry, an emerging sector in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Founder of The Executive Parent Ally (TEPA), Adefolashade Fadeyi, emphasized the key role that parenting education will play in national leadership development. She said that, just like professional development, “parental education must become part of our leadership development. If we are exposing our professionals to continuous training and emotional intelligence, we have to expose them to parenting education.”

Project Manager at ADABA Initiatives, Oluwatoyin Oladunjoye, highlighted that supporting working families through the implementation of family-friendly policies will positively impact mental well-being outcomes, encourage greater workforce participation, drive productivity, and advance national development.