COHCASEL was built on a simple truth: professional home care shouldn't be a luxury. It should be the standard.
Adejoke Afolabi
MD/CEO & Founder, COHCASEL
Chartered Accountant
ICAN Certified
“A staff member who is not happy will not deliver happiness, and a staff member without peace of mind will not give peace of mind. That philosophy shapes every placement COHCASEL makes.”
— Adejoke Afolabi
Adejoke Afolabi didn't set out to build Nigeria's most trusted home care agency. She set out to solve a problem she lived firsthand — the impossible task of finding reliable domestic support as a working mother, and the weight of knowing elderly Nigerians were being left without the care they deserved as their children emigrated abroad.
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) with close to two decades in the Nigerian insurance industry, Adejoke channelled the rigour and discipline of her accounting career into building COHCASEL from a personal conviction into a functioning enterprise. She brought the standards of a financial auditor to an industry that had none: background checks, certification standards, performance tracking, guarantor verification — things Nigerian families had never been offered before in domestic staffing.
In 2012, she founded COHCASEL with one simple, non-negotiable belief: a staff member who is not happy will not deliver happiness, and a staff member without peace of mind will not give peace of mind. For over a decade, she has personally led every dimension of the business — interviewing and training every candidate, verifying every guarantor, escorting new staff to client homes on their first day, and mediating between families and caregivers when challenges arise. That founding philosophy shapes every placement COHCASEL makes and every relationship it maintains.
Today, COHCASEL has served hundreds of families across Lagos, created employment opportunities for serious-minded young Nigerians, and pioneered the transformation of domestic workers from “househelps” into trained, traceable Home Managers. But for Adejoke, the mission remains deeply personal: every family deserves dependable professional care they can trust inside their own home.
Chartered Accountant
ACA — Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
Corporate Career
10+ years in financial services & consulting
Called to Serve
Recognized the care gap facing Nigerian families
To be the standard-bearer for professional home care in Africa — where every family, regardless of location, can access verified, compassionate, and accountable domestic staff.
To restore peace of mind to Nigerian families by placing rigorously trained, certified, and supervised home managers — while creating dignified, well-compensated careers for domestic workers across Lagos.
Every caregiver we place has passed rigorous background verification. We never cut corners on trust — because your family deserves certainty, not probability.
CHMC certification is our baseline, not our ceiling. We invest in continuous training so our staff arrive prepared for anything your home demands.
Behind every placement is a human story — an elderly parent, a newborn, a family stretched thin. We approach every match with empathy at the centre.
We create dignified livelihoods for domestic workers while elevating the standard of care for Nigerian families. When both sides thrive, everyone wins.
Our ongoing supervision, check-ins, and performance reviews mean you never have to wonder how your caregiver is doing — we track it so you don't have to.
We stay with you beyond placement day. Our team is reachable, responsive, and invested in making the relationship work for the long term.
Numbers don't capture every story — but they show a pattern of families choosing to trust us, again and again.
Families Served
Households trusting COHCASEL
Staff Placed
Certified professionals placed
Years Operating
Founded in Lagos, 2019
Areas Covered
Across Lagos & surroundings
CHMC Certified
Every staff member certified
From a single placement in Lekki to serving hundreds of families across Lagos — every milestone has been a step toward a safer, more professional home care industry.
Joke Afolabi, frustrated by the absence of professional domestic staffing standards in Lagos, begins researching the gap between what families need and what the market offers.
COHCASEL officially launches in Lekki, Lagos. First placement: a certified caregiver for an elderly client in Victoria Island. The mission begins.
COVID-19 tests the agency. COHCASEL pivots to provide essential household support during lockdowns, implementing health protocols and becoming indispensable to Lagos families.
COHCASEL introduces the Caregiver & Home Management Certification (CHMC) — Nigeria's first professional domestic staff certification standard — setting the industry benchmark.
The agency crosses 300 active family placements and launches its diaspora service — giving Nigerians abroad peace of mind about parents and relatives at home.
COHCASEL is featured in Punch Newspaper as one of Lagos's most innovative social enterprises, spotlighting the agency's role in professionalizing domestic work in Nigeria.
COHCASEL serves its 500th family, expanding operations to Abuja and marking six years of consistent growth. Staff training programs now run quarterly.
Launch of the COHCASEL digital platform — enabling seamless booking, caregiver matching, and real-time updates for local families and diaspora clients worldwide.
Strategic governance and oversight from leaders with deep expertise in finance, compliance, entertainment, and operations.
Chairman, Board of Directors
Seasoned public servant and entrepreneur with over two decades spanning the Nigerian civil service, sports and entertainment, and large-scale agriculture. Built strong expertise in institutional governance, financial oversight, and regulatory compliance at the Nigerian Loans Board. Active investments in fishery, food production, and cash crops bring unique strategic insight to lead the Board of COHCASEL.
MD/CEO, COHCASEL
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) with close to two decades in the Nigerian insurance industry. Founded COHCASEL in 2012 driven by her dual lived experience as a working mother and now a grandparent — understanding the need for reliable domestic support and the care gaps for elderly Nigerians whose children have emigrated. She is the brain, life, and heart behind COHCASEL's vision, personally leading every dimension: interviewing and training every candidate, verifying every guarantor, escorting new staff to client homes, and mediating between families and caregivers.
Non-Executive Director
Creative entertainer, educator, actor, and content producer with over a decade in Nigeria's entertainment industry spanning acting, short film production, dance instruction, and education. Founder of the IJOYA movement and creator of Afro-Latino nights — building community-driven cultural experiences. Brings unique insight in content production, audience engagement, and community building that has shaped COHCASEL's brand identity and growth journey.
Non-Executive Director
Bachelor's in Business Administration from Covenant University. Anti-Money Laundering specialist with reputable financial institutions in Nigeria and abroad. Brings expertise in compliance, risk assessment, and financial controls that supports COHCASEL's formalisation of service agreements, client verification, and financial management. A mother of two with firsthand experience of the challenges of raising young children while building a professional career. Passionate about human development and contributes significantly to the growth and training of COHCASEL's caregivers.
Non-Executive Director
Seasoned finance professional with over a decade in the energy industry covering financial reporting, planning and analysis, tax planning and compliance, and financial control. Associate Member of ICAN, Chartered Global Management Accountant (CIMA and AICPA), Diploma in Financial Reporting from ACCA, and MBA from Lagos Business School. A loyal COHCASEL client for over seven years, recruiting domestic staff through the company's placement process. Her sustained firsthand experience as a paying customer gives her an unmatched perspective on the client journey from initial inquiry to long-term staff retention.
The operations backbone that ensures every COHCASEL placement meets the company's standards of professionalism, safety, and personalised service.
Operations Manager, COHCASEL
A trusted pillar of the organisation with over eight years working closely with the MD/CEO. Coordinates the end-to-end placement process: responding to client enquiries, managing client relationships, and expertly matching households with suitable domestic staff. Leads key operational checks including guarantor verification and client location visits, ensuring every placement reflects COHCASEL's standards of professionalism and safety.
Business Development Executive, COHCASEL
Pioneer staff member of COHCASEL. Supports growth by sourcing and onboarding caregivers through trusted referral networks, while promoting COHCASEL's employment opportunities and on-site/virtual training programmes that prepare domestic professionals for long-term careers. Serves as brand ambassador for COHCASEL's domestic support solutions — childcare, caregiving, home management, cooking, weekend babysitting, and everyday errands. The first staff member Mrs. Afolabi ever placed, Esther's tenure and commitment are a living testament to the founding belief that staff invested in the COHCASEL mission deliver results far beyond a job description.
Brand Consultant, COHCASEL
Serial entrepreneur, brand strategist and philanthropist. Turns unclear ideas into clear, profitable brands that people notice, trust, and buy from — focusing on what truly drives growth: clear positioning, strong messaging, and simple systems that attract and convert the right audience. Does not believe in noise — believes in precision. When a brand is clear, everything works better: marketing, sales, and trust. When people understand you, they pay attention. When they trust you, they pay money.
Want to join the team building Nigeria's future of home care?
View Open RolesOur work has been recognized by Nigeria's leading publications — because professional home care is a story worth telling.
"Joke Afolabi saw what others ignored: Nigerian families needed more than a referral — they needed a system. COHCASEL is that system." The agency has pioneered certification standards for domestic workers and served over 300 families since 2019.
Among the agencies reshaping domestic staffing, COHCASEL stands out for its rigorous vetting process and the CHMC certification it introduced — a first for the sector in Nigeria.
For families abroad worried about ageing parents in Lagos, services like COHCASEL have become indispensable — offering verified caregivers, regular check-ins, and video updates.
Founder Joke Afolabi is among a new generation of women building professional-grade service businesses in Nigeria — bringing corporate rigour to sectors that have historically had none.
Press Enquiries
For interviews, features, or partnership media requests, reach our communications team.
Our partnerships with government agencies, certification bodies, and professional associations underpin every promise we make to families.
Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment
Government
Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
Government
CHMC Institute
Certification Body
Nigerian Red Cross Society
Healthcare Partner
Homecare Africa
Industry Body
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management
Professional Body
Interested in partnering with COHCASEL? partnerships@cohcasel.com
Whether you're a family seeking peace of mind, a caregiver ready to build a professional career, or an organization that shares our values — there's a place for you at COHCASEL.