The Kwara State Government has shut down an unapproved orphanage in Ilorin and rescued 30 children found at the facility.
The children, comprising boys and girls between the ages of two and 15, were removed from the Iranlowo Oluwa Orphanage and Children’s Home on Thursday by officials of the state Ministry of Social Development.
Following the intervention, the children were transferred to a government-approved shelter, where they will receive medical attention, food, education and psychosocial support while authorities assess their individual circumstances.
The development was announced by the state Ministry of Social Development in a statement signed by its Press Secretary, Rasheedat Shodunnke.
The ministry said the action was part of efforts to protect children in institutional care from neglect, abuse and other forms of vulnerability.
The Commissioner for Social Development, Mariam Nnfatima Imam, said the immediate focus was to determine the needs and backgrounds of the rescued children.
She explained that officials had commenced family tracing, with efforts to reunite the children with their families where it was considered safe and appropriate.
The commissioner said children who could not safely return to their families would remain in government-approved care facilities after the necessary assessments and documentation had been completed.
She added that follow-up assessments would be conducted to ensure the children continued to receive appropriate care.
Government Orders Orphanage Operators to Obtain Approval
Following the closure, the ministry also directed operators of orphanages and children’s homes across the state to obtain the necessary government approval.
Approved facilities were instructed to prominently display the inscription “Approved by the Kwara State Government” on their signposts.
According to the commissioner, the measure would help members of the public identify authorised childcare facilities and distinguish them from unapproved establishments.
The ministry said it would also strengthen its monitoring of childcare institutions across the state to improve the protection and welfare of children in their care.
