To Nigeria’s leaders: The economy will not grow without investing in care

BY BLESSING ADESIYAN

The true engine of Nigeria’s economy is operating in the shadows, fueled by unpaid, unrecognised, and undervalued care work. Nigerian women contribute an estimated $111 billion in unpaid care labour annually, taking up nearly three times the “invisible labour” burden compared to men. While this labour is the silent engine keeping our society running, the lack of formal investment in the care economy means this massive contribution remains unrecognised, undervalued, and ultimately, a cap on our national growth.

Behind these billions of dollars are the human stories of everyday Nigerian mothers. Consider the woman in Lagos or Abuja who wakes up early to beat the early morning traffic, manages school runs, does a full shift at work, closes her laptop only to begin her second shift, navigating school pick-ups, hospital runs for a sick parent, and
managing household logistics—all without compensation or recognition.

She is exhausted, stretched thin, and often penalised professionally for the “distraction” of keeping her family alive. She is working harder than almost anyone else, yet she is
not compensated for the hours that take the heaviest toll. The lack of a formalised care sector is unsustainable.

To unlock our true economic potential, we must organise our approach around three critical pillars: acknowledging the economic cost of the care gap, implementing robust policy
reforms, and treating care as essential infrastructure.

The Economic Cost of the Care Gap

The care economy has a proven multiplier effect. Unpaid care work – often termed “quiet labour” – is blocking women from formal economic participation and sometimes out of the labour force completely. Women in Nigeria bear the overwhelming burden of this work – a direct contributor to a weak female labour force participation rate that hovers around 50%.

The UN Women projects that Nigeria could create 17 million jobs simply by investing in the care economy. When we fail to invest in care, we are effectively leaving billions
on the table and suppressing the productivity of half our working-age population.

Currently, unpaid care work constitutes an estimated 10% to 39% of Nigeria’s total GDP, yet it remains invisible to formal taxation or investment. Formalising this sector turns this “subsidy” into an engine for sustainable economic growth.

Policy Reforms for a Modern Workforce

To change this, we must move beyond rhetoric to policy. We simply need to harmonise the progress we are already seeing and go further. The federal public sector has set a commendable precedent by entitling working mothers to four months of fully paid maternity leave and fathers to two weeks of paternity leave.

Lagos State has gone even further, extending maternity leave to six months and granting a 10-day paternity leave. However, these benefits are currently a privilege of geography and sector, not a right. Many states, local government civil services, and the private sector have not yet adopted these provisions, leaving millions of families behind.

We must push to make these Federal benchmarks the national minimum standard across all states and the private sector. Mandating a universal 16-week maternity leave and at least two weeks of paternity leave will normalise shared caregiving and shift the cultural narrative that care is solely “women’s work.” In addition, fiscal innovations, such as child tax credits and care incentives, can help to lower the financial barrier for working families.

Formalising Care as Infrastructure

The “huge economic potential” cited in development reports can only be attained through the formalisation of care work. We need to elevate care by providing training, certification, and enforcing fair labour standards—including fair wages and social protection for domestic workers and caregivers.

Corporate Nigeria also has a critical role to play, and leading organisations are already proving the business case. Caring Africa partners are setting the standard: Standard
Chartered Bank now provides a minimum of 20 weeks (approximately 4.5 months) of paid parental leave for all employees, regardless of gender, relationship status, or how a child joins the family. Meanwhile, Providus Bank’s deliberate investment in care infrastructure for employees has reportedly reduced attrition by approximately 10%.

Nigeria’s economy can’t grow meaningfully without investment in care. We cannot continue to rely on the $111 billion in free labour provided by women to subsidise our lack of infrastructure.

By recognising this economic subsidy, implementing policy reforms, and investing in care infrastructure, Nigeria can boost its female labour force participation and expand
sustainable economic growth. If we want to grow our economy meaningfully, we must stop treating care as a side issue. It is not women’s work; it is everyone’s work, and it is the only way to build a sustainable economic future for Nigeria.

Blessing Adesiyan is the founder of Caring Africa, an organisation focused on elevating the culture and infrastructure of care across Africa.