LASODA Demands Tighter Safeguards for Children with Disabilities

Bennett Oghifo

The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) has warned disability service providers against lapses in the management of residential homes, insisting that the safety, privacy, dignity and best interests of children with disabilities must be protected.

The agency also urged providers to strengthen safeguarding measures, improve accessibility and ensure that their publicity, fundraising and documentation practices comply with child-protection and data-protection requirements.

The General Manager of LASODA, Mrs. Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, gave the charge on Wednesday at the 2026 Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the agency at the Lagos NUT Pavilion, NERDC Road, Alausa, Ikeja.

The forum, themed, ‘Harnessing Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Advance Disability Inclusion in Lagos State’, brought together disability service providers, government agencies and other stakeholders to examine challenges affecting the quality and safety of services available to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Oyetunde-Lawal said disability inclusion should not be reduced to the provision of basic services, stressing that service providers had a wider responsibility to create environments where PWDs could live, learn, receive care and participate meaningfully in society.

“As service providers, we must recognise that inclusion goes beyond providing services. It also means creating safe, accessible and dignified environments where Persons with Disabilities can live, learn, receive care and participate meaningfully in society,” she said.

She placed particular emphasis on residential homes caring for children with disabilities, saying operators must ensure that their facilities and systems adequately protect the children entrusted to their care.

According to her, safeguarding must cover not only physical safety but also the privacy and dignity of children, particularly in an era where photographs, videos and personal information can quickly be disseminated through social media.

“We must also be mindful of how we document and publicise the lives of children with disabilities. Their privacy, dignity and best interests must remain paramount. These are important issues that require our collective attention,” she said.

The LASODA boss further charged service providers to ensure that their activities, publicity materials and fundraising practices comply with the provisions of the Lagos State Child Rights Law and other applicable child-protection and data-protection requirements.

She said compliance was necessary to prevent vulnerable persons from being exposed to practices that could undermine their dignity, privacy or safety.

Speaking on accessibility, the Director, Monitoring, Evaluation and Orientation, Dr. Funmi Adekola, facilitated a session on ‘Creating Safe, Accessible and Inclusive Homes and Centres for PWDs’.

She highlighted the need for residential facilities and service centres to be properly designed and managed to accommodate the diverse needs of Persons with Disabilities, while ensuring that such environments remained safe and responsive.

The forum also featured a session on ‘Safeguarding and Protection of Persons with Disabilities’, facilitated by the Director, Medical, Rehabilitation, Appliance and Mobility Aids, Mr. Viavonu Folorunsho.

Folorunsho emphasised the importance of strict adherence to the Lagos State Child Rights Law, particularly in the provision of services involving children and other vulnerable persons.

The sessions generated extensive contributions from participants, who shared experiences, raised concerns and sought clarification on issues confronting disability service providers across the state.

Representatives of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment; Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board; and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, among other stakeholders in the disability community, attended the forum.

The stakeholders reaffirmed the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in advancing disability inclusion, with emphasis on improving the quality, accessibility and safety of services provided to Persons with Disabilities across Lagos State.

LASODA said continued engagement among government agencies, service providers and other stakeholders remained critical to building a disability-inclusive system in which vulnerable persons are protected and treated with dignity.