OYO, UNICEF LAUNCH PARENTING PROGRAMME TO STRENGTHEN CHILD PROTECTION

The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund and Value Female Network Africa, has commenced a new programme aimed at helping parents and caregivers create safer, healthier and more supportive environments for children.

The Gender Transformative Positive Parenting Programme 1.0 began with a two-day training for community facilitators held in Ibadan on September 2 and 3, 2026. The facilitators are expected to take the lessons from the training into communities and engage parents directly on practical approaches to child development, communication, discipline and protection.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, UNICEF Lagos Field Office Child Protection Specialist, Denis Onoise, stressed that parents and caregivers occupy a critical position in protecting children from abuse, neglect and other forms of vulnerability.

Onoise explained that strengthening the knowledge and capacity of caregivers would make it easier to identify risks at an early stage, prevent violence and connect children who need assistance with appropriate protection and support services. He added that positive parenting should not be viewed simply as a method of disciplining children, but as an important component of a stronger child protection system.

He urged the community facilitators to use the knowledge gained from the training to strengthen existing child protection structures within their communities. They were also encouraged to improve awareness of referral channels so that children facing abuse, neglect or other risks can receive appropriate assistance.

The Executive Director of Value Female Network Africa, Costly Aderibigbe-Saba, said the programme was designed to improve the ability of parents and caregivers to protect children while also confronting harmful social norms and practices that can affect families and communities.

She stressed that effective parenting should involve more than ensuring that children obey instructions. According to her, children should grow up in homes where they feel secure, listened to, respected and supported, while parents should be equipped to guide them without resorting to violence.

Aderibigbe-Saba said the programme deliberately incorporates several child protection issues because children can experience multiple forms of vulnerability at the same time. Participants will therefore learn not only about positive discipline and parent-child relationships, but also about preventing sexual violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage and other harmful practices.

The programme will equally educate parents on the importance of birth registration, recognising situations in which a child requires additional protection and knowing where to seek help. Organisers said bringing these issues together would allow child protection concerns to be addressed more comprehensively rather than separately.

The Director of Programmes at Value Female Network Africa, Samuel Abimbade, said the initiative was developed in response to concerns surrounding child neglect, abuse, violence and communication difficulties between some parents and their children.

He noted that parenting requires consistent attention, care, guidance and communication, particularly at a time when children are increasingly exposed to technology, social media and influences outside the home. He clarified that positive parenting does not mean allowing children to act without boundaries, stressing that discipline remains an important part of upbringing.

Representing the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Adediran Oluwawemimo urged parents to establish closer relationships with their children and create an atmosphere where they can speak openly about their experiences.

She said parents who make it easier for children to approach them without fear are better positioned to understand their concerns, provide guidance and offer the necessary support when problems arise.

The Head of Operations, State Operations Coordinating Unit, Adelugba Omotola, also described the initiative as timely, particularly because children are increasingly exposed to influences beyond their immediate families.

Following the initial facilitator training, the participants are expected to organise structured parenting school sessions over a 10-week period. The community-based phase will take place in Ibarapa North East, Ibarapa South West, Egbeda and Akinyele Local Government Areas of Oyo State. About 800 parents and caregivers are expected to participate directly in the programme.

The curriculum will cover several areas, including child development, positive parenting, parent-child communication, positive discipline, gender-equitable caregiving, positive fatherhood, adolescent supervision and digital safety.

It will also address the prevention of sexual violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage and other harmful practices, alongside birth registration, community-based child protection mechanisms and referral pathways for children requiring additional support.

The organisers said the partnership between the Oyo State Government, UNICEF and Value Female Network Africa is intended to ensure that the knowledge acquired by facilitators translates into practical changes within homes and communities.

Through the initiative, stakeholders hope to strengthen family relationships, encourage non-violent approaches to discipline and improve the ability of parents and communities to recognise and respond to threats facing children.