By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| Mobolaji Ogunlende |
LAGOS, NIGERIA – In a major leap forward for social welfare administration, the Lagos State Government has announced plans to move its child care, adoption, guardianship, and fostering services entirely online.
The initiative aims to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, reduce processing times, and bring unprecedented transparency to the state's child welfare system. The announcement was made by the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, during a strategic stakeholders' meeting held in Lagos alongside key development partners, including Better Evidence for Better Care (BEB).
According to Commissioner Ogunlende, the digital transformation journey began following high-level discussions initiated when he attended the U.S.–Africa Summit in Dallas as part of the Lagos State delegation. These ongoing diplomatic and technical engagements have now culminated in a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with BEB to build and support a robust digital infrastructure for the state's child care sector.
"Since that initial engagement, we have continued discussions and collaboration, which have now led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to support the digitalisation of our child care system," Ogunlende stated.
For decades, prospective parents navigating adoption, legal guardianship, and foster care in Nigeria's commercial capital have faced extensive paperwork, prolonged waiting periods, and complex tracking procedures. The new digital portal is designed to completely overhaul this experience.
The automated system will significantly improve institutional record-keeping, accelerate verification processes, and make applications more accessible to eligible families. By leveraging technology, the ministry hopes to safeguard vulnerable children while easing the journey for prospective parents.
"We remain committed to embracing innovation and building systems that place the best interests, safety and wellbeing of every child at the centre of our policies and programmes," Ogunlende emphasized.