Nigeria’s growing need for professional support for elderly people, vulnerable adults and others requiring specialised assistance has prompted UK-based Nigerian comedian and healthcare professional Babajide Adenuga, popularly known as Don Witti, to call for a comprehensive regulatory framework for the country’s care sector.
Adenuga said Nigeria should introduce legislation that clearly defines standards for care homes and care workers, including requirements for training, certification, documentation and professional oversight.
Speaking on TVC News’ Diaspora Connect, Adenuga drew from his experience working in the United Kingdom’s care sector to highlight what he described as the need for a more organised approach to caring for people who cannot independently meet all their daily needs.
“UK has legislation that regulates care. You have procedures, you have documentation, you have training and certification,” he said.
According to him, a properly regulated care system should ensure that care providers maintain comprehensive records on the people under their supervision.
He said such records should cover important aspects of residents’ welfare, including their meals, medication, illnesses and the treatment they receive.
Adenuga also pointed to the United Kingdom’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an example of an oversight system designed to ensure that care providers operate according to established standards. He noted that care facilities in the UK are subject to inspections and regulatory requirements.
He argued that Nigeria could develop a similar framework adapted to the country’s own circumstances, particularly as demand for professional care services continues to grow.
Adenuga identified elderly people, persons living with dementia, vulnerable adults and children, as well as people requiring mental health support, among those who could benefit from a properly structured care system.
He said developing the sector could serve two purposes: providing families with professional assistance for relatives who need care while creating employment opportunities for Nigerians trained to work in the profession.
‘Care work is not a low-class job’
Beyond regulation, Adenuga addressed what he described as a negative social perception of care work in Nigeria and among some Nigerians in the diaspora.
He rejected the notion that care work is an inferior occupation or one meant only for people without formal education.
“Any job you can do for 40 years is not a small job,” he said.
Adenuga also pushed back against the description of care work as a “low class” occupation, noting that Nigerians with university degrees sometimes work in the UK care sector after relocating abroad.
“Care work is not a house job,” he said.
He maintained that care workers in the UK can build long-term careers, own homes and enjoy the benefits associated with professional employment.
The comedian criticised attitudes that place occupations into rigid social categories, arguing that such perceptions can obscure the value of work that provides essential services to individuals and communities.
He said Nigerian society often places considerable emphasis on the perceived status of professions, with occupations such as plumbing, cooking, driving, barbering and care work sometimes viewed differently from how they are regarded in other countries.
Adenuga, who studied International Law and Diplomacy at undergraduate and master’s levels, said his experiences in the United Kingdom had broadened his understanding of how societies value different forms of work.
Call for greater mental health support
The healthcare professional also called for increased attention to people living with mental health challenges in Nigeria.
He argued that people experiencing mental health difficulties should receive appropriate care and support rather than being abandoned on the streets.
For Adenuga, establishing a structured care industry would therefore go beyond caring for elderly people. It could form part of a wider system of support for vulnerable members of society, including people who require specialised assistance because of age, illness, disability or mental health conditions.
He said Nigeria could learn from systems that operate effectively in other countries without assuming that any foreign society or institution is perfect.
Combining healthcare, comedy and community work
Adenuga combines his healthcare career with comedy and content creation, using his experiences in the UK to produce material that entertains audiences while also drawing attention to social and cultural issues.
He said he began creating content around 2012 or 2013 but became more consistent with it in recent years.
He is also a co-founder of Afrovibe Somerset, a community platform focused on promoting African heritage and culture among people in the diaspora.
His comments on the care sector come amid broader conversations about the contribution of Nigerians living abroad to the country’s development.
Separately, Diaspora Connect reported that President Bola Tinubu had urged Nigerian medical professionals living abroad to consider returning home and contributing their expertise to the development of the country’s healthcare system.
The programme’s discussion highlighted the wider role Nigerians in the diaspora can play in transferring knowledge, professional experience and expertise to Nigeria, particularly in critical sectors such as healthcare.
For Adenuga, the development of a professional care industry could similarly provide an avenue for Nigeria to address social needs, support families and create a new area of employment while improving the quality of assistance available to vulnerable people.