Adoption Can Only Be Revoked if Child's Welfare Is at Risk, Lagos Insists

Adoption Can Only Be Revoked if Child’s Welfare Is at Risk, Lagos Insists
Lists Requirements for Child Adoption
Warns Against False Information

The Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development (MYSD) has said the adoption of children from registered orphanages is irrevocable under the state’s adoption laws, except where the welfare of the child is at risk.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that the Director of the Adoption Services Department, Modupeola Sahid-Adebambo, disclosed this in an interview on Friday, stressing that the adoption process is governed by the Child’s Rights Law and follows strict legal procedures.

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She explained that the process begins with the submission of an application letter to the ministry, after which prospective adoptive parents are invited for an interview.

According to her, successful applicants are issued adoption requirements, pay the prescribed application fee and are enrolled in the ministry’s virtual adoption training programme, which includes post-adoption guidance and counselling.

“The training used to be physical until the COVID-19 era. We discovered the virtual format is even better because participants can always revisit the materials. After the training, another interview is conducted, followed by a home assessment and an adoption panel interview involving relevant stakeholders,” she said.

Adoption Can Only Be Revoked if Child's Welfare Is at Risk, Lagos Insists

Sahid-Adebambo said applicants who successfully complete the assessment receive an approval letter and are provided with a list of government-approved orphanages.

She added that a court order is then obtained to enable the prospective parents bond with the child for three months before the adoption is finalised through a legalisation process in court.

She noted that applicants must successfully complete each stage before progressing to the next.

The director also listed key eligibility requirements, including residency in Lagos State for at least three years, evidence of tax payment, a suitable home environment and medical assessments confirming physical and mental fitness at a designated general hospital.

On relocation after adoption, she said the ministry must be notified before a child is moved outside Lagos or Nigeria.

According to her, the ministry’s Human Integrated Unit oversees post-adoption supervision and works with relevant authorities in other states or international partners to monitor the child’s welfare, with the adoptive family bearing the cost of such assessments.

She identified non-disclosure of vital information by some applicants as one of the major challenges affecting the adoption process, noting that some ineligible persons deliberately conceal facts to improve their chances of approval.

Sahid-Adebambo added that the adoption process takes a minimum of one year from the date of application to completion.