Despite being home to one of the largest orphan populations in the world, Nigeria continues to struggle with inadequate orphanage facilities and low government involvement, leaving thousands of vulnerable children at risk.
According to data from SOS Children’s Villages and the World Population Review, Nigeria has an estimated 17.5 to 18 million orphaned children, ranking it among the top five countries globally with the highest number of orphans. In contrast, the country has relatively few registered orphanages, most of which are privately operated.
Although the number of orphans continues to rise due to insurgency, poverty and health issues, the last comprehensive national data on orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) was released in 2008, since then no official update has been issued. However, a 2021 report by the World Bank estimated that about 4,000 children in Nigeria were orphaned due to the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021.
The Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON) has consistently raised the alarm on the growing gap between the number of orphaned children and the capacity of homes to care for them. In a 2023 statement, ASOHON’s president noted “Nigeria does not have enough foster homes or orphanages. The government needs to prioritise child welfare systems instead of leaving it all to NGOs.”
Dr Christie Omolehin, who co-founded and runs ‘Hope Motherless Babies Home’, an orphanage in Kwara State, alongside her husband, Evangelist Isaac Omolehin, echoed similar concerns.
“While the government alone cannot solve all the nation’s problems, there is also a need for private sector intervention. Unfortunately, many who have the passion to care for orphans and vulnerable children do not have the means to adequately support them.
If the government can adequately fund genuine NGOs, religious bodies, and private orphanages, it would help expand these homes and encourage others to get involved,” she said.
Dr Omolehin further emphasised that while more registered orphanages are needed, institutional care should not be the only solution.
“Before the advent of Westernisation, orphaned children were cared for by extended families. In my village, I never saw a child abandoned. Every child belonged to a family. Barren women were often given children to raise as their own. If our society could return to being our brother’s keeper, the number of abandoned or orphaned children would reduce greatly,” she added.
