Special Report
Nigerian Fathers Prioritise Emotional Bonding Over Financial Provision, Gatefield Report Finds
By Iyojo Ameh
A new study by Gatefield’s Opinion Lab has revealed a shift in perceptions of fatherhood among Nigerian men, with emotional involvement in their children’s lives emerging as a greater priority than traditional financial provision.
The report, titled The New Breadwinner: Masculinity, Caregiving and Economic Prosperity in Nigeria, found that emotional connection attracted 156 mentions in the study, nearly twice the 84 mentions recorded for financial provision.
Released on Thursday in Abuja, the report highlights growing interest among Nigerian men in becoming more actively involved in childcare, particularly during infancy and early childhood.
However, it identifies economic pressures, workplace policies and prevailing cultural expectations as significant barriers preventing many fathers from fully embracing shared caregiving responsibilities.
According to the study, men who define their masculinity primarily through their ability to provide financially often experience shame and emotional withdrawal when economic difficulties prevent them from meeting household expectations.
A male business leader quoted in the report said financial struggles could make him uncomfortable around others when he was unable to provide for his family.
A religious leader also acknowledged the need to move away from measuring manhood exclusively by financial contributions, describing the mindset as a burden that required personal reassessment.
The report further found that how shared caregiving is presented to men significantly influences their willingness to embrace it.
It said messaging built around ideological demands and expressions such as “unpaid care work” and “dismantling the motherhood penalty” generated six times more defensiveness among respondents.
In contrast, presenting shared caregiving as a means of promoting household peace, family prosperity and stronger relationships increased message resonance by more than 70 per cent.
Family-centred messaging also generated seven supportive responses for every instance of resistance, according to the report.
A religious leader cited in the study said men were more likely to support shared caregiving when they understood its benefits for their families.
The findings suggest that advocacy groups seeking greater male participation in childcare may achieve better results by emphasising children’s development, family stability and shared responsibility rather than relying on confrontational messaging.
The study also highlighted workplace policies as a major factor influencing fathers’ ability to participate in childcare.
It noted that while public sector employees receive 14 days of paid paternity leave, workers in the informal economy face financial penalties when they take time away from their jobs to care for their children.
The report identified this as a structural challenge, particularly in a country where a substantial proportion of the workforce operates in the informal sector.
It also drew attention to inequalities in access to domestic support, noting that some middle-class, dual-income households rely on paid domestic workers to manage household responsibilities.
For lower-income families without the resources to outsource domestic chores or access support networks, sharing caregiving responsibilities can be more difficult.
To address these challenges, Gatefield recommended expanding paid paternity leave beyond the existing 14-day public sector benchmark to cover private sector workers.
It also called for community-based childcare facilities and informal crèche networks to support working-class families and people employed in the informal economy.
The report urged advocacy organisations to adopt less confrontational messaging centred on child development, household stability and economic resilience.
It further recommended engaging religious and traditional leaders to promote active fatherhood, mutual responsibility and more collaborative approaches to marriage and family leadership.
According to the study, faith-based institutions and cultural gatekeepers could play a significant role in normalising men’s participation in childcare by encouraging a broader understanding of leadership that includes emotional presence and shared responsibilities.
The findings come amid growing conversations about gender roles, economic pressures and the distribution of unpaid domestic work in Nigerian households.
Gatefield said translating men’s stated willingness to become more involved fathers into widespread behavioural change would require both cultural shifts and practical reforms that make caregiving more accessible.
The organisation is a public strategy and media group that focuses on advocacy and storytelling aimed at driving social change.