April 4, 2023

Lagos State Government has called on parents, teachers and caregivers from Education District V to ensure they keep a safe watch over their children to ensure the incidence of child abuse in the State is reduced to its bearest minimum.

Speaking at a one-day interactive conference on Safeguarding and Child Protection, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the rise in cases of domestic and sexual violence was the reason behind the sensitisation programme.

Vivour-Adeniyi, who was represented by the Head Clinical Psychology department, Olive Oluwagbemileke, said the growing trend of rape culture in primary and secondary schools in the State resulted in the need for the agency to engage the parents with the relevant skill-set and information to boost their parenting skills and thus prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence cases proactively.

She reiterated the State Government’s unwavering resolve to rid the State of the menace and ensure perpetrators are made to face the full wrath of the Law.

The Executive Secretary said the Agency has left no stone unturned and had taken its sensitisation drive to Communities, Schools, Religious Leaders and Traditional Rulers, and also trained law enforcement agents and other relevant stakeholders.

She said the Agency had also made headway by collaborating with the Office of Education Quality Assurance and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, urging parents, caregivers, teachers and school owners to key into government policies and programmes in providing a better society for their wards.

Also speaking at the Conference, the Director, Monitoring and Investigation, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Akodu Kamardeen said the programme came at the right time to sensitise parents on the need to protect their children from abusers and shared instances of intervention in the course of duty, just has he called for more parental care and awareness on the part of parents.

One of the facilitators and State Coordinator, Child Protection Network, Ronke Oyelakin, said the conference was designed to equip parents to safeguard their children and address the grappling issues of violence that children are faced with.

Oyelakin further stressed that all stakeholders have collective roles and responsibility to instil good values in children towards a great future to promote a wholesome society devoid of all forms of abuse.