Obashoro-John: Professional Bodies Should Be Self-funded, FG Right in Hands-off  

President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria (C-ISOWN), PROF. OLUWAYEMISI OBASHORO-JOHN in this interview hails the federal government’s withdrawal of funding to professional regulatory bodies, stating that it tied the professional bodies to the apron strings of the FG, but are now free to discharge their obligations without minding whose ox is gored. She discloses that regulation of the profession will dominate discussion at C-ISOWN annual International conference in Oshogbo, next week.

 What is the C-ISOWN doing about quackery given the proliferation of baby factories, domestic violence, and other social ills?
We are aware that Rome was not built in a day, and Social work departments and units were also established in our various institutions for some times now, luckily enough, many higher Institutions have embraced the programmes from sub degree to graduate levels, but as we are all aware, schools classrooms alone do not produce professionals. So, the institute is making an effort to infuse the missing links between the classrooms and practice and also ensure a minimum level of skills among those who were on the field prior to the Act. Many entrant programmes have been instituted to ensure minimum rite of passage and admission into the Register. The members are now properly coordinated and licensed.

Stamp and seal are issued to experienced and licensed practitioners who will affix it to all documents emanating from them. This enables us and the public to know and trace all documents emanating from licensed practitioners, so adherence to rules and sanctions can be balanced. Like we know, many of us do not like control because they want to practice according to their personal dictates, but unfortunately, the Act establishing the institute is clear and has put a stop to that. So, in a nutshell when there are right trainings and licensing of practitioner, adequate law combine with this government’s willingness at ensuring smooth running of the system, baby factories, domestic violence and predators will have nowhere to hide because our professionals are being trained to fit into different areas of social work profession for adequate intervention where appropriate.

 Now that the country has removed all regulatory agencies from her funding and budget list, how is this institute funded?
The government is actually apt in the removal of regulatory agencies on the budget list. In advanced countries where we are benchmarking, the government grants recognition and creates a monitoring mechanism but does not tie regulatory agencies to her apron strings because some of those to be regulated are also sitting on government desks as well. So the institute understood how this works from ab-initio; the Institute has positioned itself on a self-funding mode. As we speak, the Institute does not request government funding to operate. To be honest with you, the activities of professional regulation should be self-funded. I will say we are doing well. But the familiarity of being tied to the government in almost everything confuses some onlookers and makes them try to see a government chartered institute as a private one without recourse to legal rules.

 Exactly what does the Institute do?
The Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners is a regulatory and professional body for social work practitioners in Nigeria. It was established precisely in 2007, which started operations officially in 2010 and was reestablished by Act No. 25 of 2022, which granted the Institute the powers to regulate, control, and determine minimum professional standard of operations for practice in Nigeria.

 What are the major reasons for the enactment of your Act?
The enactment of the law establishing the Institute came as a result of the overwhelming social issues in our society. The difficulties of social deliveries, poorly and uncoordinated social interventions, clear absence of standard national guidelines, and parameters for social work service deliveries, among others. You will agree with me that the attractiveness of advanced societies is orchestrated by the level and quality of social work practice in those climes. So, the government saw the need to provide a legal framework to galvanize the unregulated services into a national specification for the benefit of Nigerians.

 How do Nigerians become members?
Members being inducted  into the Registers of the Institute is strictly by professional examination, you can only become registered and licensed if you have social work qualification(s) or allied discipline qualification(s) like Sociology, community development, psychology, adult education, guidance and counseling, etc., as stipulated in the establishment Act No. 25 of 2022. Now we have the examinations in three categories (Foundation, Intermediate and Final professional examinations). The foundation professional examination is for those in the Diploma programmes; they come in through the Students’ membership scheme (SMS) indexing via their departments and on successful examinations are advanced to the next stage which is intermediate professional examination (IPE) at their HND 1, they are however expected to write and pass the Final professional examinations at their final year or during their post graduate programme. But for those in the Universities, they are expected to be indexed at 200 Level which qualifies them to sit and pass the IPE and at final year or during their post graduate programme, write and pass the FIPE. For those who are already out of school and in different fields of social work profession in the public and private practice are expected to write the final professional examination (after 3 years post first degree qualification. Fresh graduates are required to still write and pass the IPE).

Those qualified to write these examinations are exempted from IPE. For now, Eight (8) weeks online workshop, seminar and examinations are conducted, examinations are in one or two sittings, it is those who passed at either first or second sitting that are qualified to be invited for induction and oath taking into the Register of the Institute. Also,  those who have passed through these processes and procedures can apply for a practice license and stamp and seal. These are necessary to maintain practice standards and traceable practice of Social Work professionals in Nigeria as it is done in all meaningful professions all over the world. I will be quick to say that Social work practice in Nigeria is categorized into three (3) Cadres: Officers Cadre (those who have degree qualifications and or PGD Social work and have passed the FIPE), Executive Cadre (those who have Higher National Diploma qualifications and have passed IPE and FIPE) and the Auxiliary Cadre (those who have National diplomas, certificate in Auxiliary social work or other social work certificates from recognized institutions and have passed the FPE). These criteria are also what expatriates practicing or coming to practice social work in Nigeria have to pass through to be granted an expatriate social work license. New entrants into the social work profession or those seeking to become members of C-ISOWN are required to fill out the application form online on: www.c-isown.org/membership or www.c-isown.org/studentsmembershipscheme. Corporate organizations can also become members of the Institute on www.c-isown.org/corporatemembership.

 What does the nation stand to gain from the Institute regulating the practice of social work in Nigeria?
The gain of effective and regulated social work practice is enormous. The country as a whole is at the verge of demanding for all possible social services as applicable in the developed societies; ranging from, child protection,  elderly care, industrial social Welfare, school social Welfare services, medical and sports, to mention a few. It should be noted that all these offices exist but are manned by non-professionals, and sometimes the officers in these offices are free will service men who erroneously deliver services as helpers of clients and not duty bearers. The institution of a regulator surely sets guidelines, boundaries, and appropriate modus operandi.  The Institute is also empowered to control and discipline erring members. This will provide the opportunity for clients to demand proper services and also report suspected infractions on the part of the practitioners. It is a well-known fact that any practice without a rule can be abused. You can imagine the huge benefits.

 I learnt that your annual International conference on social work is being held this year in Osogbo. Can you tell us about the conference?
Yes, our annual international conference will be coming up between 3rd through 7th November, 2024, it is the 15th of its kind where social work professionals and Allied disciplines from within Nigeria and Diaspora meet. Our conferences are great opportunities for reflective engagement with self and colleagues, a time to meet other colleagues from diverse cross-cultural practice, sight-seeing and relaxation are also a component of every conference , a time to build links and bridges and also connect practitioners that one naturally may not have outside of a conference so it is an annual ritual in practice for practitioners to expect, save and adequately prepare for., This year we shall be converging in the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding Osogbo, Osun State. Above all this conference is going to bring to fore the social work direction for the nation going forward.