Five Women Closing Social Service Gaps in Nigeria

Social services encompass a range of interventions designed to provide assistance and support to vulnerable groups, ensuring equitable access to fundamental human rights. While government initiatives play a central role in addressing these needs, various organisations are stepping in to bridge existing gaps. These interventions include empowering marginalised groups with access to shelter and family care, creating safe spaces for maternal mental health, providing critical responses to natural disasters, and fostering hope through youth mentorship. Esther Oluku writes that their contributions to making a difference demonstrate how compassion, resilience, and advocacy can close social service gaps in society.

Mrs. Adelaja Adedoyin – Founder, Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice

Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, established by Mrs. Adelaja Adedoyin on 2 October 2003, is Nigeria’s first and only private hospice for children. Located in Surulere, Lagos, the hospice provides care and support to terminally ill children and those with congenital abnormalities, offering them love and a sense of family.

Since its inception, the hospice has housed and cared for numerous children, ensuring they receive the critical medical and emotional support needed to lead lives filled with love and compassion.

Speaking during a Corporate Social Responsibility visit by Fidelity Bank to the facility in 2024, Adedoyin explained that caring for children at the hospice is akin to raising children in a nuclear family. However, due to the varying medical conditions of each child, personalised care is essential to make every child feel loved and valued.

The hospice caters to children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, and other congenital abnormalities. A small, well-trained team of caregivers provides daily support tailored to each child’s needs.

She said: “You juggle from one child to another, just like in any family, but what is important is that you apply the same level of love to everyone, regardless of their condition.

“Many of them are unaware of their surroundings. Some have multiple disabilities—cerebral palsy, for instance, can mean they cannot see, talk, walk, or even crawl. They are confined to their beds. Feeding them is a delicate process, as most cannot eat solid food. We mix cereals with milk and gently feed them because their lungs are not strong enough to swallow properly. It takes time and patience to feed just one child.”

Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice relies on voluntary donations from well-meaning Nigerians to support the most vulnerable children in society.

Bukola Jaiyeola – Founder, Next Big Deal Hub

Next Big Deal Global is a social enterprise dedicated to closing gaps in training and entrepreneurial mentorship. Founded by Ms. Bukola Jaiyeola in 2017, the hub equips entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills and strategies required to build successful businesses, thereby reducing unemployment and fostering the entrepreneurial capabilities of Nigerian youth.

The organisation has made a significant impact through mentorship, training, and business development programmes, supporting startups and stimulating economic growth by providing business owners with access to strategic resources and funding.

“My goal has always been to equip people with the skills, tools, strategies, and confidence to turn their ideas into thriving businesses,” Jaiyeola stated.

Since its inception, Next Big Deal Hub has trained over 5,000 entrepreneurs and organised large-scale summits, one of which is the Empower Lagos Summit that brought together over 1,000 young innovators and creators. One of its flagship initiatives, Spartan Innovation, provides hands-on business coaching for ambitious entrepreneurs.

Jaiyeola’s contributions to entrepreneurship have earned her several accolades, including recognition as one of the 50 Inspirational Women in Social Development on the TEDx 2023 list and her appointment as an ECOWAS Ambassador for Entrepreneurship Advocacy. She has also been honoured with a Doctor of Leadership Award and the Global Entrepreneurs Award for Social Impact.

Next Big Deal Global plans to expand its training academy, increase accessibility to mentorship programmes, and create more opportunities for women in business, ensuring free and accessible training for startups.

Edidiong Michael-Ishola – Founder, Miked Maternal Services

Mrs. Edidiong Michael-Ishola, a certified biomedical scientist with a Master’s degree in International Business from Ulster University, United Kingdom, is the founder of Miked Maternal Services. With advanced certifications in perinatal mental health therapy and expertise in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, she is committed to supporting new mothers and families.

Established in 2017, Miked Maternal Services focuses on addressing anxiety, fear, and depression in first-time mothers, particularly those facing difficult pregnancies and postpartum experiences. Over the past eight years, the organisation has supported more than 13,700 women through therapy, counselling, and peer support communities, while also engaging over 3,000 fathers in mental health and parenting education.

In 2020, Miked Maternal Services collaborated with the Lagos State Primary Health Board to conduct research on maternal mental health awareness among women of childbearing age while working on advocacy initiatives to bridge knowledge gaps in maternal healthcare.

In 2021, it partnered with the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Board to train healthcare providers on empathetic maternal care, while also establishing community support groups to help women share experiences and receive professional therapy.

Miked Maternal Services was recognised by the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2017, receiving a $5,000 grant to expand its maternal mental health research. It was also nominated for the Founder of the Year Awards by Flourish Africa in 2021 and the Sergio Obando Award for Enhancement (Leadership and Impact) in 2025.

To further its mission, the organisation recently introduced an AI-powered mobile app that provides personalised perinatal mental health support and virtual therapy sessions for families worldwide.

Enibo Albert – Founder, EACF

The Enibo Albert Charity Foundation (EACF) was founded by Ms. Enibo Albert in 2022 in response to the devastating floods that displaced communities in rural Bayelsa State. The foundation provides humanitarian aid, including clean water, clothing, mosquito nets, and repellents for displaced individuals in emergency camps.

Albert hopes that through EACF, she can break the cycle of poverty in the Niger Delta through education, humanitarian relief, and community empowerment. In just two years, EACF has impacted over 4,000 beneficiaries, including children, widows, and single mothers, by distributing food packages and household essentials to vulnerable families.

In 2024, the foundation launched Project Smart Seed, aimed at keeping children in underserved communities in school. The initiative has already facilitated the re-enrolment of 11 out-of-school children, providing them with full educational support, including uniforms, shoes, school bags, and books.

EACF’s humanitarian efforts have been recognised with several awards, including the Super Hero of the Flood Award from the Bayelsa Spelling Bee, the Volunteer Service Award from the Gold Coast Developmental Foundation, and the Special Recognition for Human Empowerment from the Epie-Atissa Merit Awards.

The foundation aims to re-enrol 10,000 out-of-school children within the next five years while expanding its community outreach initiatives.

Tarela Aghanti – Founder, Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation

Mrs. Tarela Aghanti is the founder of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF) Nigeria, a social service organisation dedicated to providing medical support and mobility aids to individuals living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). Operating in both Nigeria and the UK, OIF has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the condition since its establishment in Nigeria in 2016.

In 2018, OIF Nigeria donated 250 wheelchairs to OI survivors in Nigeria. By 2019, it provided an additional 10, and after a pandemic-induced hiatus, it resumed its work in 2024, distributing 314 mobility aids, including wheelchairs, walking frames, walking sticks, and crutches, to OI survivors and people with disabilities in Lagos.

OIF collaborates with surgeons, occupational therapists, and a team of dedicated volunteers to ensure case-specific interventions that improve the quality of life for OI survivors.

Despite its successes, Aghanti emphasised the need for increased government and corporate support to sustain and expand the organisation’s impact.

Through dedication and service, these women are bridging critical social service gaps, transforming lives, and shaping a more inclusive future for underserved groups in Nigeria.