Ogun govt revokes licences of 20 orphanages

• Adeleye said the licences were revoked because the orphanages allegedly did not adhere to regulations and laws prioritising the well-being and safety of vulnerable children in their care

The Ogun State Government has announced the withdrawal of the provisional licences of 20 private orphanage owners operating in the state.

The development was announced by commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, on Friday.

Adeleye said the licences were revoked because the orphanages allegedly did not adhere to regulations and laws prioritising the well-being and safety of vulnerable children in their care.

She spoke at a meeting with members of private orphanage homes at the ministry’s conference room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The commissioner said, “About 20 orphanages with provisional licences were affected but not all of them were involved in various sharp practices like not following due guidelines on child adoption among other contraventions. But we have withdrawn the provisional licences of these 20 orphanages. We want to take our time to dig deeper and ensure that they are all doing the right things.

“We have told the affected orphanages to reapply after a month and we have given additional guidelines to those with permanent licences to ensure that the standard is not compromised.’’

The commissioner added that the move by the state government was aimed at protecting vulnerable children and maintaining the integrity of orphanage services.

The commissioner stated that unwholesome practices relating to illegal adoption, child trafficking or maltreatment of children in their custody, insisting that orphanages were meant to operate with empathy by empowering and caring for vulnerable children, rather than compromise their safety.

Emphasising the commitment of the Dapo Abiodun administration to safeguard children’s welfare and prevent exploitation, the commissioner urged private orphanage owners to adhere to laid down guidelines and promised to prosecute erring ones.

She also disclosed that the ministry was improving its data collation to ensure that the children brought to the orphanages were properly documented.