Caritas Nigeria convened its first General Staff Meeting of the year in a hybrid format on the 8th of January, 2026, bringing together staff from offices across the six geopolitical zones to strengthen learning, assess institutional progress, and align on strategic priorities for the year ahead. The meeting was moderated by the Senior Advisor, Communications, Cecilia Inyagbe Agrinya, alongside Dr. Michael Ibe, Programme Advisor, Institutional Capacity Strengthening Unit, and was led by the Executive Secretary/CEO, Fr. Peter Audu.
Setting the tone for the year, Fr. Audu presented a vision anchored on Innovate, Consolidate, Accelerate, and Harvest of Hope. He reflected on the challenges of 2025 while celebrating key achievements, including the dedication of staff and the contributions of the Caritas Nigeria at 15 Planning Committee. He reviewed progress across core institutional areas such as partnership strengthening, workflow and approval reforms, improved communication responsiveness, HR credential compliance, systems integration, field visibility, and capacity development, noting steady improvements across these areas.
Looking ahead, the Executive Secretary outlined strategic priorities focused on institutional innovation and creativity, knowledge management and research, and deeper technological integration without losing the organization’s human touch. He also presented an eight-point agenda for the year, which covered strengthening discipline and institutional culture, developing income-generating models, enhancing monitoring visits, promoting a “One Caritas Nigeria” spirit of collaboration, improving staff development and welfare, mandating bi-annual departmental innovation proposals, operationalizing clearly defined thematic areas, and advancing technological efficiency.
The meeting featured presentations on safeguarding, work-life balance and mental health challenges, the new tax policy, and the staff health insurance scheme. The Senior Advisor, Communications, informed staff that the distribution of the 2026 Caritas Nigeria Year Planner had commenced, while the Chief of Party/Principal Investigator, Dr. John Oko, encouraged innovation in response to the dwindling funding landscape.
The meeting concluded with prayers committing the organization to the maternal care of the Virgin Mary. Fr. Audu announced plans to introduce special staff awards to recognize ethics, accountability, longevity, and outstanding contributions, thanked participants and facilitators for their active engagement, and urged staff to remain resilient and hopeful despite prevailing challenges.
