A review of perceptions, challenges and prospects of child adoption in nigeria

Abstract

Child adoption in Nigeria is still an evolving process .The enactment of the Child's Right Act in Nigeria has legalized child adoption. The Objective of this study include to access the perception of child adoption in Nigeria; to determine the challenges of child adoption in Nigeria, and to investigate the prospects of child adoption in Nigeria. The method used was to explore secondary data, policy documents, existing studies and reviews from scholars, local and international organizations. Perception of child adoption slightly vary across the country, with most Nigerian having fair knowledge of the term “child adoption”  which does not translate into its practice .It was also shown that infertility is the main factor that has influenced the rate of willingness and acceptability of child adoption in Nigeria. However, the ideology that biological ties are fundamental to family relations is associated with several stigmatizing beliefs about adoption, which may cause both the adoptee and the adoptive parents to feel socially marginalized and devalued. Just like other part of the world, child adoption in Nigeria is faced with several challenges ranging from stigmatization, unknown parental background, possible inherited or genetic diseases, psychological and religious beliefs, poverty, establishment of illegal adoption and orphanage homes, future claim by the biological parents, disloyalty or abandonment of adoptive parents the child when the child learns that he or she was adopted. The future prospects of child adoption lie in Nigerians taking seriously the principles and standards enunciated in the international adoption law of Nigeria that the best interest of children (which include their survival, development, protection and participation) should be the guiding principle in the whole adoption process. In conclusion , the perception, challenges and prospects of child adoption reviewed in this study shows child adoption in Nigeria is still evolving and requires the government, churches, other religious bodies, NGOs, individuals and the public at large to join hands in welcoming and implementing the right practices of child adoption, as well as ‘Child's Right Laws' .