Oyo, UNICEF Train Auxiliary Social Workers On Digital Child Protection
The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has commenced training for Auxiliary Social Workers on the Child Protection Information Management System as part of efforts to strengthen child protection and social welfare services across the state.
The Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Joke Sanni, disclosed this during a two-day training programme held from September 10 to 11, 2026, at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Ibadan.
Sanni said effective child protection required not only adequate personnel but also accurate and timely information to support decision-making, case management, referrals, monitoring and planning.
She said the state government was prioritising capacity building, community-based child protection mechanisms, alternative care, prevention and response to violence against children, gender-based violence interventions, and improved social service delivery.
The training brought together 50 Auxiliary Social Workers from Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, with plans to extend the programme to other local government areas across the state.
Speaking on the initiative, UNICEF Child Protection Officer for Data, Planning and Monitoring, Aminu Awal Sani, said the programme was part of efforts to support Oyo State’s transition from paper-based to digital case management through the PRIMERO electronic protection information management platform.
According to him, PRIMERO would enable Auxiliary Social Workers to identify cases, document incidents, provide services and make referrals directly from the field, while also facilitating real-time monitoring and improving the availability of reliable data for planning.
UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Lagos Field Office, Dennis Onoise, stressed the importance of strengthening community-based protection structures, particularly amid the shortage of professional social workers in the country.
He said trained Auxiliary Social Workers could serve as a vital link between vulnerable children, families, communities and formal social service institutions by identifying and documenting cases of abuse and facilitating appropriate referrals.
Onoise added that the digital system would allow workers to document cases including sexual and physical abuse and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation using mobile devices.
He emphasised that reliable data was essential for understanding the scale of child protection challenges and developing effective interventions by governments and development partners.
Also present at the training were the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Oluyinka Shotonwa-Roagess; Director of Child Welfare, Mr Gbémileke Ojerinde; and UNICEF Desk Officer in the ministry, Mrs Oluwawemimo Adediran, among others.
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