Int’l Day of Care and Support: Caring Africa Leads Campaign

To commemorate the United Nations International Day of Care and Support on October 29, Lagos will take its place on the global stage as Caring Africa, leads Nigeria’s campaign under the theme “Start With Care.”

Across the world, care remains the invisible engine of progress essential yet undervalued. Women perform more than 75 percent of all unpaid care work, while millions of paid care workers, especially in developing countries, toil without recognition or adequate protection.

With over 2.1 billion people worldwide in need of care and the global population aged 65 and above expected to double by 2050, the demand for strong, inclusive care systems has never been greater. In Nigeria, over 70 percent of domestic and care workers operate in the informal sector, lacking contracts, benefits, or basic legal safeguards.

With focus on building stronger families, healthier workplaces, and more inclusive societies, Caring Africa will hold an event to emphasize this narrative on Wednesday, 29th at Capital Club, Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the event, attendees will experience the premiere of a short documentary titled “Strong Families, Workplaces, Nations – Start With Care,” alongside the Caring Workplace Awards, celebrating ten employers who have embedded care-centered practices into their operations. There will also be a Celebration of Care Workers, recognising those whose hands and hearts sustain homes and communities across Nigeria.

According to the founder, Caring Africa and convener, #Start With Care campaign, Blessing Adesiyan, “this year’s theme, ‘Start With Care,” calls for societies to do more than simply acknowledge care work; it demands action. The UN urges governments, employers, and citizens to recognise, value, and invest in care systems that are fair, inclusive, and sustainable.

“It is this call that Caring Africa has chosen to amplify through its national campaign #StartWithCare, a movement aimed at reimagining care as shared public infrastructure rather than a private struggle. The initiative is set to be unveiled in Lagos with a gathering of policymakers, private sector leaders, and care advocates all united by one mission: to make care a national priority.

Adesiyan further noted that this is the shift Africa needs. “Care is the invisible economy that keeps every other economy running. Yet, it remains the most undervalued. #StartWithCare is more than a campaign, it’s a movement to reimagine care as shared responsibility. Strong nations begin with strong families, and strong families start with care,” she said.

The #StartWithCare campaign is that care is not a “soft” issue. It is hard infrastructure. It builds people, strengthens economies, and sustains nations. Without investment in care from childcare and eldercare to paid leave and protections for domestic workers progress toward equality and economic inclusion will continue to falter.