The Lagos State Government has shut down five orphanages in the past year over allegations ranging from baby trafficking to breaches of the Lagos State Child Rights Law of 2015.
Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, disclosed this during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Ikeja on Tuesday to mark the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Mr Ogunlende said the closures were part of the state’s ongoing clampdown on illegal activities within child care facilities.
“Any facility found to be engaging in unwholesome activities such as baby trafficking will be decisively dealt with; we have the records with us,” he stated.
He explained that a specialised monitoring unit under the ministry is responsible for enforcing compliance with legal and ethical standards in orphanages and similar institutions.
“Our monitoring team is constantly in the field, ensuring that these homes are operating within the ambit of the law,” he added.
Beyond regulatory enforcement, the commissioner highlighted several intervention efforts aimed at youth empowerment and child protection.
According to him, over 4,000 youths have been trained in various vocational skills including tailoring, fish farming, and ICT within the last year.
“We are committed to empowering our young people. Through targeted skills acquisition programmes, more than 4,000 youths have been trained to become self-reliant,” Mr Ogunlende said.
He also revealed that over 200 children had been rescued and rehabilitated during the same period, describing each rescue as “a life saved from exploitation or neglect.”
Reaffirming the government’s zero tolerance for any form of child abuse, the commissioner vowed that enforcement efforts would be further intensified in the coming months.
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