{"id":5807,"date":"2023-04-15T11:48:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T11:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/?p=5807"},"modified":"2023-04-15T11:48:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T11:48:42","slug":"keynotes-on-the-process-of-child-adoption-in-lagos-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/2023\/04\/15\/keynotes-on-the-process-of-child-adoption-in-lagos-state\/","title":{"rendered":"KEYNOTES ON THE PROCESS OF CHILD ADOPTION IN LAGOS STATE<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Source: https:\/\/guardian.ng\/sunday-magazine\/narrow-and-tortuous-road-to-child-adoption\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Child adoption is regulated in Nigeria though the focus of this piece is Lagos State, the commercial centre of Africa. Reports show that there has been a rise in the number of children seeking adoption in Lagos State. The rise presupposes that adoption is no longer viewed as a taboo <\/em>and is gradually gaining importance among the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a plethora of factors that generally influence the adoption of a child(ren) ranging from infertility, a desire to replace a dead child or give a companion for an only child, and a desire to provide parentage for abandoned, abused or ill-treated children in society amongst others. Adoption is believed to be preferred to other forms of child care such as guardianship and fostering as it provides a permanent form of childcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 This article highlights the keynotes on the process of adoption in Lagos State in a question-and-answer format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Adoption?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adoption is a process by which a persons (\u201cadopters\u201d) legally assume the role of parents in respect of a child (\u201cadoptee\u201d) who is not their biological child. It is also a process of vesting parental rights and duties relating to an adoptee in the adopters, based on their application to an authorized court. It is a process of transferring the rights and responsibilities of the adoptee\u2019s biological parent\/guardian to the adopter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of Ibiam v Ibiam & Anor (2017) LPELR-42028 (CA)<\/em><\/strong>, the Court of Appeal defined adoption as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c the creation of a parent-child relationship by judicial order between two parties who usually, are unrelated; the relation of parent and child created by law between persons who are not in fact parent and child. This relationship is brought about only after a determination that the child is an orphan or has been abandoned, or that the parent’s parental rights have been terminated by Court order. Adoption creates a parent-child relationship between the adopted child and the adoptive parents with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that attach to that relationship, though there may be agreed exceptions\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that adoption is different from guardianship and fostering. The former provides a permanent form of child care while the latter is a temporary form of child care. In the case of adoption, the adoptee becomes vested with the rights of a biological child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What legislations regulate adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legislations regulating adoption in Lagos state are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          Lagos State Child’s Rights Law No. 11 2007 (\u201cLaw\u201d); and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Family Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2012 (\u201cCivil Procedure Rules\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Agency is in charge of adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ministry in charge of adoption in Lagos State is the Ministry of Youth and Social Development located in Alausa, Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the different types of adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three (3) types of adoption which are recognized in Lagos State and they are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          Adoption from an orphanage home;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Relative adoption \u2013 this is an adoption by anyone biologically related to a child available for adoption. For example, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc.;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii.        Step-parent adoption \u2013 This is a process where the spouse of the parent of the child adopts the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the recognized forms of adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.         Local adoption<\/em>: This is an adoption by Nigerians living in Lagos, Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Adoption by Nigerians living abroad: This type of adoption is where a Nigerian living abroad seeks to adopt a child in Lagos State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii         inter-country adoption: This relates to adoption of a child in Lagos State by foreigners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Can Adopt a Child in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By virtue of section 121 of the Childs Right Law<\/em><\/strong>, the following persons are eligible to adopt a child in Lagos State:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          Any married couple not less than 25 years of age and possess a Court Order authorising them jointly to adopt a child;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Any married person who has the consent of his\/her spouse to adopt a child;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii.        Any single person, of not less than 35 years old provided that the child to be adopted is of the same sex as himself\/herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that, in all cases, the adopter(s) must be certified by the appropriate investigating officers as a person of unquestionable and suitable character to adopt the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Can be Adopted?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By virtue of Section 118<\/em> of the Law, the following persons are eligible to be adopted:

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          a child whose parents consent to the adoption; or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         an abandoned, neglected, persistently abused or ill-treated child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that by virtue of Section 261<\/em> of the Law, a child is defined to mean any person under the age of 18 years. It then presupposes that only a child below the age of 18 is eligible to be adopted in Lagos State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can a Foreigner adopt a Child in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, a foreigner living abroad can adopt a child in or from Lagos upon fulfilling the requirements for adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Nigerians living abroad adopt a child in Lagos?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, Nigerians living abroad are also eligible to adopt a child in or from Lagos upon fulfilling the requirements for adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the requirements for processing adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          Applicant\u2019s employment letter, pay slips, and bank statements;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Tax clearance returns for three years prior to the application;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii.        Recommendation letter from a colleague in the applicant\u2019s place of work, or business partner or employer;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iv.        Residential address and pictures of the applicant’s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

v,         Marriage certificate or a sworn declaration of marriage (where the applicants are married);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

vi.        Birth certificate or sworn declaration of age of each applicant;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

vii.       passport photographs of each applicant;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

viii.      a medical certificate of fitness of the applicant from a Government hospital and other documents which the commission shall require.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ix.        additional documents that will assist in processing the application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that the Adoption Unit of the Ministry may require additional information from the applicants from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the procedures for adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The step-by-step procedures for adoption in Lagos State are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.         The proposed adopter (applicant) must submit application letter, addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.         The Applicant will be called up for an interview\/briefing with the Director of Social Welfare\/Officers from the Adoption\/Fostering Unit on an appointed date. The applicant may be given registration forms with a list of requirements for adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.         The applicant will be required to complete the registration forms and provide the requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.         The applicant will then be assigned to an adoption officer and given a letter to take to a government-owned hospital for medicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.         The Adoption Unit will then commence the administrative processing, screening of the applicant and home assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.         Upon conclusion of the assessment, the applicant will be required to pay the applicable administrative fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7.         Applicants will be required to appear before an adoption panel. The panel is composed of police officer(s), a representative(s) from the immigration service, a permanent secretary, a magistrate and a top personnel from the Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.         An approval letter is then issued to the applicant with an attachment of the list of registered orphanages for matching of child\/children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.         Applicant will visit the orphanages with the approval letter and passport photograph to choose the child\/children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.      A date will be communicated to the applicant by the Ministry to engage in a post-counselling (proper parenting) exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11.      Where the Ministry and the applicant are satisfied, the child(ren) will be released from the orphanage to the applicant for bonding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.      The Ministry will carry out a bonding assessment and where satisfied, the case will be referred to the Family Court, Lagos for proper documentation and legalization of the adoption process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13.      The Court makes an adoption order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that for Nigerians living abroad and foreigners, a prospective adopter may apply personally or through a Foundation. Such applicant will be required to submit in addition to the above, the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.          A document showing their residency status in a foreign country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.         Notification of Arrival of the applicant after successfully matching the child at the registered orphanage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which court has the power to make an adoption order in Lagos state?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By virtue of the Law, a High Court or Magistrate Court designated as a \u201cFamily Court\u201d in line with the Civil Procedure Rules can make an adoption order in Lagos State.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

       What are the factors that may frustrate an adoption application in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By virtue of Section 123 <\/em>of the Law, the Court may refuse to make an adoption order where any or a combination of the following grounds is established by the investigation officers or upon review of the application for adoption:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.     The applicant is not a fit and proper person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.    The applicant is less than 25 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii.   The applicant fails to inform the social welfare officer of his\/her or their intention of adopting the child at least twelve months before the granting of the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iv.   In the case of a married couple consisting of a parent and a step-parent of the child, the court may dismiss the adoption application where such matter can be dealt with under possession and custody of children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the estimated timeline for processing an adoption in Lagos State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire adoption process can be completed between 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the applicable administrative charges for processing an adoption in Lagos?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administrative fee for processing local adoption in Lagos State is about N150,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost for processing adoption by Nigerians living abroad is about N200,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For inter-country adoption, the administrative fee is about 300,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the above, there may be professional fee and miscellaneous expenses which are available on request.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Child adoption is regulated in Nigeria though the focus of this piece is Lagos State, the commercial centre of Africa. Reports show […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}