The Lagos State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Nigeria, Mrs. Aderonke Oyelakin, has warned Nigerians against bringing children into the world without the means to raise them.
Oyelakin issued the warning on Tuesday during a community sensitisation training on alternative care organised by Child Life-Line and SOS Children’s Village, with the theme: “Securing Hope for Street/Slum-Connected Children through Alternative Care.”
According to her, many children across Nigeria are being neglected due to economic hardship, a situation she said infringes on their basic rights.
Oyelakin said, “Children need a loving, caring environment where they can grow and be nurtured to become the best. If a child is not in school, then you have taken away that child’s right to education.
Why give birth to children you cannot care for?
“When you have too many children in poverty, you end up neglecting them. Giving birth and raising a child is expensive. Women in slums keep procreating and giving birth to children they can’t care for. This is why we need awareness,” Oyelakin stressed.
She added that the welfare of children in slums should be seen as a collective responsibility of all parents.
Programme Manager at Child Life-Line, Yemi Aileru, also told our correspondent that the failure to properly care for children posed long-term dangers for society.
He said, “Many Nigerian children lack parental care. When they are not looked after, they miss out on education, turn to the streets, join cults, or become drug addicts. That is why we are creating awareness — to prevent children from being exposed to these dangers.”
Aileru further explained that vulnerable children thrive better within family and community care structures rather than institutions, describing the African communal system of raising children as more effective.
“The family is the best place for a child to grow, not an institution. We are moving away from institutionalisation into alternative care, where communities take responsibility for children,” he said.
On his part, the Project Manager, Adeshina Sherif, urged Nigerians to see children as a shared responsibility.
“Children are a gift from God and should always be treated well. There are no unwanted children, only unfounded families,” Sherif added.
