BY RITA OYIBOKA
The Delta State Government has taken a major step toward strengthening child protection with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori signing into law the Child Rights (Amendment) Law 2024, a development hailed as a “better deal for children” by the state’s Child Rights Implementation Committee.
Speaking during the first 2025 meeting of the State Child Rights Implementation Committee held in Asaba, the Committee Chairperson, Mrs Oghenekevwe Agas, described the newly amended law as long overdue.
The meeting brought together Heads of Personnel Management from child protection units across Delta’s 25 local government areas, security agencies, representatives from relevant ministries, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders in the child protection sector.
Mrs Agas, who also serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, told The Pointer that the original Child Rights Law, passed in 2008, had become obsolete in several areas.
According to her, “Many aspects of the 2008 legislation no longer reflect current realities. The amendment was necessary to close loopholes and improve implementation. Laws are only as effective as their enforcement, and it’s during that process we will begin to see gaps.”
She noted that the revised law now offers children in Delta State greater legal protection and better access to support services.
Governor Oborevwori, while assenting to the law alongside six other bills over the weekend, commended the State House of Assembly for its commitment to enacting progressive legislation aimed at addressing key societal issues.
“The amended Child Rights Law provides clearer safeguards for our children. From now on, no child is to be employed or used for domestic labour outside their immediate home or family.
“Additionally, we have established an Adoption Services Department within the Ministry of Women Affairs to streamline adoption processes and eliminate the challenges faced by prospective adoptive parents,” she said.
The governor emphasised that children are the bedrock of society and must be shielded from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. “These bills will not only protect our vulnerable populations but also enhance quality of life, drive sustainable development, encourage investment, and ultimately increase our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),” he added.
