- Lagos Government Unveils Boy Child Initiative, Plans Child Rights Law Review
- Designates May 16 as Lagos Boy Child Day
- The First Lady said the Lagos Boy Child Initiative was created to ensure boys receive the guidance, support and opportunities needed to reach their full potential
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared May 16 as Lagos Boy Child Day and endorsed a review of the Lagos State Child Rights Law, 2015, to strengthen child protection and address emerging challenges affecting children, especially boys.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the announcement was made on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the review of the Child Rights Law and the launch of the Lagos Boy Child Initiative, championed by the First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
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The initiative aims to promote the welfare of boys while complementing existing efforts to protect and empower girls.
Speaking at the event themed “The Child Development Framework in Lagos State: Addressing the Boy Child Gap,” Sanwo-Olu said giving more attention to boys should not reduce the progress already made in protecting girls.
“The First Lady has ensured that the initiative grows and turns into a movement where the presence of girl children has not reduced while ensuring that we have not inadvertently relegated the boy child,” the governor said.
He said the state would support the initiative and emphasised the need to update the Child Rights Law to reflect current realities affecting children.
According to him, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders must also play active roles in protecting boys from abuse and other social challenges.
“As leaders and parents, there is a need to protect boy children. There are a lot of programmes they can be taking to repair the imbalance so we can have a society we can be proud of. We will support the initiative to whatever level that it is required,” he added.
The First Lady said the Lagos Boy Child Initiative was created to ensure boys receive the guidance, support and opportunities needed to reach their full potential.
She described the declaration of May 16 as Lagos Boy Child Day as a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to inclusive child development.
“True gender equality is achieved not by competing interests but by ensuring that every child, girl or boy, is allowed to realise his or her God-given potential,” she said.
Dr Sanwo-Olu also called for amendments to the Child Rights Law to address modern issues such as technology-facilitated violence, online exploitation, mental health concerns, changing family structures, juvenile justice reforms and inclusive child development.
She said the review would strengthen the state’s legal framework and ensure child protection policies remain relevant to present-day realities.
According to her, institutionalising the Lagos Boy Child Initiative through legal and policy reforms would help sustain the programme beyond the current administration.
She stressed that supporting boys should not come at the expense of programmes designed for girls, but should instead promote equal opportunities and protection for every child.
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