Cynthia Ezegwu
Nigeria could add up to 1.7 million working mothers to its labour force by 2030 if it invests in affordable and quality childcare, a new report by Economist Impact’s Childcare Dividend Initiative (CDI) has revealed.
The report, supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, was launched on Wednesday alongside the G20 Women’s Economic Empowerment Working Group Ministerial Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to the study, childcare should not be viewed merely as a social service but as a key driver of inclusive economic growth and national productivity.
“Nigeria could experience the largest increase as a percentage of the population, with 1.7 million mothers joining the workforce — equivalent to 2.7 per cent of the country’s workforce,” the report stated.
It projected that universal childcare coverage could boost Nigeria’s GDP by 1.09 per cent through higher female labour participation, increased household incomes, and improved tax revenues to support national development priorities.
At a high-level forum held on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, policymakers, funders, care providers, and civil society groups discussed how strategic childcare investment could fuel inclusive growth, advance gender equality, and promote child development.
Lead researcher for the CDI, Ms. Katherine Stewart, said affordable childcare must be recognised as an economic necessity rather than a luxury reserved for privileged households.
“Our research demonstrates that childcare investments strengthen economies, improve productivity, and empower women to contribute meaningfully to national prosperity,” Stewart said.
She urged governments to prioritise the care economy in fiscal planning, noting that inadequate childcare services cost Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa billions in lost income in 2022 alone.
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Similarly, Social Protection Specialist at the International Labour Organisation, Jasmina Papa, described expanding access to quality childcare as “one of the greatest engines for decent job creation and social progress.”
“The care economy is a public good that everyone receives and eventually provides in their lifetime,” she added.
Project Lead for Economies of Care at the Institute for Economic Justice in South Africa, Juhi Kasan, called for gender-responsive budgeting to ensure transparency and accountability in public spending.
“Prioritising the care economy should place the well-being of communities and families at the forefront — not treat women merely as instruments of development,” she said.
As the G20 Summit concluded, experts urged African governments to integrate the care economy into national development frameworks, making childcare a central pillar of economic recovery, social protection reforms, and inclusive growth strategies.