Abuja: The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening child protection through improved adoption, guardianship, fostering, and automated childcare services. Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, emphasized this commitment while opening a stakeholders’ meeting focused on adoption, guardianship, and fostering matters in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event took place in Ikeja, highlighting the Sanwo-Olu administration’s dedication to ensuring every child has access to care, protection, and opportunities to thrive through the THEMES+ development agenda. Ogunlende described adoption, guardianship, and fostering as ways to provide vulnerable children with hope, stability, and nurturing family environments. He stressed that automating childcare services would enhance efficiency, accountability, transparency, and public confidence in child welfare administration.
The commencement of fostering services is expected to offer temporary fami
ly-based care, reducing unnecessary institutionalization and expanding safe family placement opportunities for vulnerable children. Ogunlende called on orphanages, social workers, judicial officers, development partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, compliance, professionalism, and accountability in child protection. He expressed confidence that the meeting would yield recommendations to strengthen policies, improve service delivery, and enhance protection for every child in Lagos State.
Mrs. Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of MYSD, emphasized the need for stronger collaboration to improve adoption, guardianship, and fostering services. She stated that the meeting would provide updates on guardianship, introduce fostering services, discuss automation of childcare services, and enhance institutional collaboration. According to her, the ministry remains committed to the Child’s Rights Law of Lagos State and promoting the best interests of every child.
Oke-Osanyintolu highligh
ted that automation would improve transparency, efficiency, accountability, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance in delivering child welfare services. She also noted that fostering services would expand regulated family-based care, enabling vulnerable children to grow in stable and nurturing family environments. Stressing the necessity of partnerships with various stakeholders, Oke-Osanyintolu urged active participation to identify practical solutions and contribute to policies that would strengthen child protection services across Lagos State.
Dr. Modupeola Sahid-Adebambo, Director of Adoption Services at MYSD, addressed issues in assisted reproductive practices, encouraging adoptive parents to maintain records of all information regarding the children in their custody for future purposes. She emphasized that seemingly small details, such as pictures and clothing, are significant for these children, and urged orphanages to provide such information to adoptive parents to help create lasting memories.