Juvenile Safety: Lagos Authorities Convene With Key Players To Ensure Child Safety

• Lagos State has continued to prioritise child safety.

• The state recently did a post-mortem assessment of reported incidences of child abuse in Public and Private Schools.

• The Lagos government also reviewed existing child safeguard policies.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has organised a stakeholders’ forum on Child Protection Policy for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.

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The agency said the forum was aimed at conducting a post-mortem assessment of reported incidences of child abuse in Public and Private Schools in the state.

Speaking at the forum held recently at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Secretariat, Alausa-Ikeja, the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the meeting was designed to discuss and review existing policies on safeguarding and child protection in the state.

She reiterated the need for schools to adhere to best practices in ensuring that every child is kept safe within the walls of learning.

Vivour-Adeniyi said the Joint Taskforce comprising top-level representatives from different MDAs had converged to review its activities in the past year, understand the trend, review the lessons learned from previous incidences and forge a way forward from a more preventive lens.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Pharm. Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, who was represented by the Director of Social Welfare Department, Mrs. Toyin Jaiyeola, emphasised the need for continuous collaborations in raising awareness against all forms of abuse and promoting wellness for peace, justice and safety of children.

On her part, the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni said the mandate of quality education hinges on ensuring the safety of every child in all schools in the state.

She said the state has a mandate which is collaborative when it comes to safeguarding and Child Protection.

Seriki-Ayeni noted that the review of the past year’s activities of the Joint Taskforce revealed a high correlation between School Compliance and the Safety of Children.

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The OEQA boss added that her office has ensured that reporting procedures are easier than it was previously and complaints can easily be lodged about a school, child or any issue on its website.

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