Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, has harped on the need for proper documentation of children in orphanages residing in the state.
Adeleye stated that improved data analysis is necessary to ensure accountability, safety, transparency, and efficiency in the administration of homes.
The commissioner made this known during a training program for social workers, organized by the Ministry in collaboration with Both Ends Believing (BEB) and the Association of Orphanage and Home Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON) at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Friday.
She reiterated the state government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of all children in the state, regardless of their status, noting that their rights must be protected and that they should have a sense of belonging.
Adeleye said: “I want you to know that the present administration in Ogun State is committed to the welfare of all children in the state, and the era of being complacent is gone; whether as social workers or orphanage home operators, this time there is a need for us to have proper documentation of what is going on in our homes, both for present reasons and for the future of the children and the homes we run.”
The commissioner urged the trainees to take advantage of the training to enhance their career paths and provide efficient services in their line of duties.
Speaking, the National President of the Association of Orphanage and Home Operators in Nigeria, Dr. Gabriel Oyediji, explained that the objective of the training was to ensure a paradigm shift in keeping children’s records from analog to digital, towards achieving accuracy and timeliness in the management of children’s welfare.
Delivering a lecture on creating child-first software for orphanage homes, the Country Manager of BEB, Mr. Silas Nyam, highlighted some of the benefits of the software application for orphanage homes, which include storing and tracking children’s personal, medical, and educational records, monitoring children’s progress, goals and outcomes, and managing counseling therapy, among other things.
Appreciating the Ministry and other partners, representatives of the social workers, Adesola Omobolaji and Talabi Olusesan, said the training would be beneficial in enhancing quality service delivery in the discharge of their duties.