The Zamfara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the social welfare system, protecting and improving the quality of care for women, children, orphans, and other vulnerable groups in the state.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha MZ Anka, gave the assurance while delivering a keynote address at the opening of a six-day training exercise for state auxiliary social workers.
The training exercise was organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Development Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, UNICEF, and the Federal University Gusau.
It is being conducted in batches to ensure effective response to child protection, gender-based violence, and other related services across the 14 local government areas of the state.
Aisha MZ Anka noted that the initiative is part of Governor Dauda Lawal’s vision and mission to build a safe environment where the good people of Zamfara can thrive positively.
The commissioner further explained that the training of auxiliary social workers is not just an activity but a bold step toward strengthening the capacity of people in the state to effectively respond to issues of child protection, gender-based violence, neglect, exploitation, and other pressing social challenges across the fourteen LGAs.
She also urged participants to refine their existing skills, amplify their impact, and develop innovative solutions that have the potential to transform lives in the state.
On her part, the State Coordinator on Child Protection, Hajiya Farida Abdulrazak Tigana, explained that the main purpose of the training is to strengthen community child protection structures for sustainability and to certify existing social workers in the state professionally.
She emphasised that representatives for the training were drawn from ward communities across every local government area to ensure effective representation, timely response, and quality service delivery within localities.
The Phase One trainees were drawn from Gusau, Tsafe, and Bungudu local government areas, while other local government areas are scheduled to begin their training in the coming days, God willing.
Also speaking, one of the training facilitators on Child Protection, Femi Rufus Tiniola, Head of the Sociology department at Federal University Gusau, said the participants will be fully trained in the application of global practices of social work for caring for children, women, and vulnerable individuals in the state.
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