The Lagos State Government has launched a child protection campaign targeting more than 1,500 children across the state’s six education districts, intensifying efforts to improve awareness of abuse, exploitation and sexual violence among young people.
The initiative is being implemented by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) as part of the 2026 Safeguarding and Child Protection Week, themed “My Silence Ends Here.”
The five-day programme will run until Friday, according to the agency’s Public Affairs Unit.
The campaign places particular emphasis on helping children recognise inappropriate behaviour, understand personal boundaries and know how to report situations that make them feel unsafe.
It also reflects a wider shift in child-protection interventions towards prevention and early reporting rather than waiting until abuse has already occurred.
Campaign Covers Six Education Districts
By taking the programme across Lagos’ six education districts, the government is seeking to reach children in different parts of the state rather than concentrating awareness programmes within a small number of schools.
The initiative is expected to provide young people with information about safeguarding while strengthening their understanding of where they can seek assistance.
The theme, “My Silence Ends Here,” places particular emphasis on breaking the culture of silence that can surround abuse.
Children may fail to report inappropriate behaviour for several reasons, including fear, threats, shame, confusion or uncertainty about whether adults will believe them.
Creating environments where young people understand that they can report abuse is consequently an important part of prevention.
Prevention Becomes Key Focus
For schools, safeguarding extends beyond responding to reported incidents.
It also requires teachers, administrators, parents and other adults working with children to understand warning signs and establish clear procedures for handling complaints.
That becomes particularly important because children spend significant portions of their time within schools and other educational environments.
The Lagos initiative therefore provides an opportunity to reinforce reporting channels while encouraging children to speak to trusted adults when they experience or witness behaviour that could threaten their safety.
The campaign also comes as the state continues to use its Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency as a central institution for coordinating responses to sexual and gender-based violence.
Building Confidence to Report Abuse
One of the challenges surrounding child abuse is ensuring that awareness translates into reporting.
A child may understand that certain behaviour is wrong but still be reluctant to tell someone.
Effective safeguarding therefore requires more than telling children to speak up. Schools and families must also establish systems capable of receiving disclosures sensitively and responding appropriately.
The state’s decision to target more than 1,500 children gives the programme considerable reach, although its longer-term impact will depend on whether the lessons are reinforced after the campaign ends.
That includes ensuring teachers, parents and caregivers understand their own responsibilities within the safeguarding system.
The programme could also help strengthen coordination between schools and government agencies when allegations require professional intervention.
For Lagos, with its large and diverse school-age population, creating consistent child-protection standards remains an important part of education and social policy.
The current campaign represents another attempt to move safeguarding discussions directly into the environments where children can participate.
By encouraging young people to understand boundaries, recognise potentially abusive situations and know where to seek assistance, the state hopes to make early reporting a stronger part of its response to domestic and sexual violence.
