LASG advocates support for children with disabilities

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The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities receive the protection necessary for their full integration into society.

At a stakeholders’ forum with service providers in the disability community on Wednesday, the General Manager, LASODA, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, emphasised that the event aimed to address the needs of children with disabilities in both private and government care homes.

Held at Academy Guest House in Agidingbi, Ikeja, the forum had the theme “Ensuring the Protection of Children with Disabilities.”

Oyetunde-Lawal highlighted the importance of creating safe environments for children, noting that their specific needs required specialised care and attention.

“The home should be a sanctuary where children feel safe, loved, and accepted. For children with disabilities, a well-managed home is not just a shelter but a lifeline. It provides them with stability and serves as the foundation for their physical, emotional, and cognitive development,” she said.

She noted that managing a home for a child with disabilities required “additional thought, planning, and unwavering commitment.”

“It must be a space where they are shielded from external challenges — a haven where their abilities are nurtured, their differences celebrated, and where their self-esteem and confidence are constantly built,” she said.

Oyetunde-Lawal appealed to stakeholders for continued support, saying, “I believe we can all agree on the importance of instilling these values in our children early on, to help them grow into self-reliant, confident, and well-rounded individuals.”

The LASODA General Manager reiterated that the agency had been diligently working towards social inclusion, which is part of the THEMES+ developmental agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

This agenda aims to eliminate discrimination and provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities across education, employment, and community life.

“Our mandate is to create, enforce, and supervise policies that ensure Lagos remains a state where inclusion is the norm, and the rights of persons with special needs are fully recognised and protected. We tirelessly work to shield them from all forms of discrimination and to ensure equal access to opportunities in every aspect of life,” she said.