Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Inclusion

*OYO STATE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS & SOCIAL INCLUSION TRAINS FIRST SET OF AUXILIARY SOCIAL WORKERS ON CHILD PROTECTION,IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF YOUTHS,SPORTS & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND UNICEF*

The Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Inclusion, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth & Social Development ,sponsored by UNICEF, held a 5-day training for 50 Community Auxiliary Social Workers at the Social Development Centre, Samonda, Ibadan, from 9–13 March 2026. The training, with participants nominated from five LGAs identified by UNICEF ( Ibadan South West, Ogbomosho North, Ibarapa East ,Ibadan North and Iwajowa), aimed to strengthen Oyo State’s community-based Child Protection System by improving participants’ capacity to identify, respond to, and support vulnerable children and their families.

Participants were equipped with practical skills across key areas including social work practice, child protection, case management, communication, psychosocial support, counseling, humanitarian response, continuum of care, and supportive supervision.

In her closing remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Hon Mrs Toyin Balogun thanked UNICEF for its sponsorship through the Lagos State Ministry of Youths & Sports Development and commended the UNICEF provided facilitators,a team of lecturers and consultants from the University of Ibadan led by Professor Ayangunna for their commitment to an impactful impartation of knowledge experience to the participants

The Commissioner informed participants that they were among the first set of five local governments identified by UNICEF to kick-start the pilot phase of the programme.She also stated that participants nominated from all the other 28 local governments will also be trained in subsequent cohorts of the program also to be sponsored by UNICEF.

She urged the first set of trainees to work diligently in their communities once deployed as “they are the eyes of His Excellency and an extension of the ministry when it comes to the welfare of the children demographic in their various communities reinforcing the training’s goal of protecting children’s rights and welfare.

The PS; Mrs Roages,Director Child Welfare; Mr Ojerinde ,Deputy Director Mrs Dada and other staff of the Ministry were on hand to support the Honorable Commissioner at the event

Alhaja Aminat Busari-Adeleke
INFIR OFFICER MINISTRY MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS & SOCIAL INCLUSION

**EVERYDAY S-HEROES : PORTRAITS OF RESILIENCE ,TENACITY & CREATIVITY IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY*

It's that special time of the year again.A season when the female demographic are celebrated

The usual practice is to celebrate women who are accomplished in various spheres; Oil & Gas,Commerce,Ministry & Industry,Manufacturing,Education,Science & Tech,Politics etc

However,this year we are doing something uniquely different

Starting from today,we will be having a week long special feature where our women at the grassroots, who are facing one challenge or the other,either as Widows or single mothers

These female heroes,who we have designated as *EVERYDAY S-HEROES* ,despite facing humongous challenges,economic and otherwise,in the face of multifaceted adversity have demonstrated outstanding resilience,tenacity and creativity

Through the sheer dint of hardwork,many times through taking on menial jobs they have laboured day in day out,year in year out to eke out a living in order to cater for the welfare of themselves and their children

Some of them have taken on jobs as pedestrian as frying bean balls popularly known as Akara ,cleaning jobs,farm labourers etc have sponsored their children through high school to tertiary institutions

The women we would be celebrating in this week long showcase have faced adversity head on,lived through humiliating circumstances to put food on the table for their children and to give their children an opportunity for a better lease of life through an education or vocational trainning

These women are real life heroes( S-Heroes) who deserve to not only be celebrated but to be empowered and supported so that their vision of a better quality of life for their children who are the next generation of future leaders can be brought to fruition,taken off the streets and become useful to themselves and the society at large

Apart from being celebrated through this Showcase,each of the women celebrated will benefit from tangible Empowerment in forms of Business Support Cash Grants or Equipments from the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Inclusion to enable Sustainable Empowerment of they and their children at the grand finale event of the International Women's Day Commemoration coming up in April

The first woman to be celebrated in this showcase is Mrs Tawa Moromoke Alàbi ,a widow and mother from Afijio local government who lost her husband to the cold hands of death several years ago

Since the demise of her husband, it has been an uphill ,daily struggle for her to take care of her children since then.Mrs Alabi fortunately will be one of the beneficiaries of the proposed Mega Empowerment Program billed to take place at the grand finale of the upcoming International Women's Day Commemorative event.

Come along with us on this journey of celebrating real life,everyday heroes from the various local governments of our dear state

This interview was conducted by Hon Romoke Folorunsho,a female Councillor from Afijio local government & Coordinator of all female Councillors in Oyo State

Happy International Women's Week!

*Hon(Mrs) Toyin BALOGUN*
COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN AFFAIRS & SOCIAL INCLUSION

*UPDATE ON OYO LOCAL GOVT CHILD ABUSE CASE*

The Ministry has activated neccesary protocols and first thing this morning in Nigeria, a Social Worker who is an officer of the Ministry in company of an officer of the Nigerian Police have arrested the wicked Abuser and the young girl Survivor is being attended to .

They are both to be brought to Ibadan as soon as all neccesary formalities with the Police are completed.The young girl will be brought to my office and from there taken care of and rehabilitated as a Ward of the State in line with the provisions of the Child Rights Law of Oyo State (2006) which vests the responsibility for all children of Oyo State from ages 1 day old to almost 18 years in the Commissioner for Women Affairs of the State who in turn holds this responsibility in trust for the State Governor

While the abusive, heartless woman will be arraigned by the Police to face justice in a court of competent jurisdiction(Family Court)

She will be tried under applicable laws of the land to serve as a deterrent to other citizens with abusive tendencies

Like i stated in my New Year Message,the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Inclusion under the watch of the Commissioner & under the Leadership of His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde says a categoric NO to Child Abuse in the 33 local governments of Oyo State

If you notice cases of abuse of an adult towards a child, a man towards a woman or a woman towards a child ps endeavour to bring it to the attention of the Ministry through our TOLL FREE SEXUAL & GENDER BASED HOTLINE : *0800 400 4040*

Together we will make Oyo State a SAFE SPACE for our children

Hon( Mrs) Toyin BALOGUN
COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN AFFAIRS & SOCIAL INCLUSION OYO STATE

Yesterday 01/01/26, i received a notification on my page from Hon Cephas Olorunpoto, one of the members of the House of Assembly on the abuse of a minor/underaged child as indicated below in Oyo Town.

We really need to do better.If you can not take care of a child, please do not bring them into the world, if you cannot take care of a child, ps do not accept custody of the child

I immediately activated neccesary protocols with the officers of my Ministry who swung into action wit alacrity

Like I said in my New Year Address, there is a Zero Tolerance Policy for ALL forms of violence against Women, Children, the Physically Challenged or the Elderly in all 33 local governments of the state.

If it takes making scapegoats of some perpetrators to ram this message home, you better believe we WILL do the needful

Hon Mrs Toyin BALOGUN

Case of Maltreatment

This place is Mobolaje, adjacent Halimotu memorial Central Mosque, Ọyọ,

I'm here to report a case of child abuse!

On my way to Unique,I stopped at the above address, the minor in this video was standing and calling Daddy at the gate of the house, she said " Daddy Ebi n pami" means I'm hungry. I was so surprised, "as how?" Where is your mummy? She said she has left for the shop.

Shortly a neighbourhood emerged and paused for a while to know what I was asking the child, when that person heard the kid clearly,she then testified to the fact of the child's story.

She said, " the mother of this baby is alive though her father is late, but the child is living with her mother's sister"

I asked for the reason why her own mother can't be taken good care of a 5years old daughter!
Does she give birth to 10 children? Is she a disabled?

The responder continued, "the way this child is suffering and abusing is worrisome, she asked me to check her back as her back is littered by lots of cane marks!. She said this kid got beaten of her life "the day she poured a mess for body".

Another neighbour,a man said, the little kid has been subjected to sleeping alone in the kitchen since 5days. And only this kid will be roaming round the compound from the morning till the night, starving 😭

I don't think her mother is aware of all these,but how can a caring and reasonable mother give a blood related person's child to take care of ?

No one talks good about this guidance, and I noticed many of them are not ready to face this woman.

Watch the video, let us share it, how can this kid be saved from this cruel guidance?