The Need for Effective Laws and Policies to Prevent Illegal Child Adoption in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasse.v3i5.195Keywords:
Effective Laws, Policies, Prevent Illegal Child, Adoption, NigeriaAbstract
Illegal child adoption has become a pervasive issue in Enugu State, Nigeria, with devastating consequences for all parties involved. This study investigated the need for effective laws and policies to prevent illegal child adoption in Nigeria. The study design is legal research design. Legal practitioners and policymakers in Nigeria were the study population. The sample size is 79 participants, comprising 51 opinion leaders, 28 individuals from welfare agencies, adoption intenders, adopters, and traditional rulers using snowball as the sampling technique. The data were collected through in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focused group discussions (FGDs). Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. We found that poverty, cumbersome adoption processes, corruption, impatience, and high costs drive illegal child adoption. The study revealed alarming consequences, including mortality, psychological stress, economic waste, moral depreciation, and emotional imbalance. Our findings also highlighted the gendered pressures of childlessness, cultural practices, and the need for policy reforms. We recommend increased awareness, adoption policy reviews, subsidized adoption costs, and empowerment programs. This study underscores the urgent need for social work intervention in reforming adoption policies, enforcement of laws and policy implementation to address the scourge of illegal child adoption in Enugu State.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Udechukwu Ngozi Stella, Onyishi Nkechinyere Patricia, Ngwu Christopher
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