As Lagos expands its diversion programme for young offenders, the state government and UNICEF are calling for deeper reforms to ensure that children in conflict with the law receive support, not punitive treatment.
This renewed push came during a three-day capacity-building workshop for justice-sector stakeholders in Lagos, focused on strengthening and scaling up the state’s diversion and legal-aid mechanisms for children who come into contact with the justice system.
The training, themed “Scaling Up Legal Aid for Children in Conflict with the Law and the Diversion Programme”, brought together government officials, legal practitioners, child-protection specialists, and community actors working to improve juvenile justice outcomes.
Speaking at the opening session, the Director of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, Olubunmi Adesomoju said the initiative went beyond institutional reform and touched directly on the wellbeing of vulnerable children.
“We are here because the lives and future of some children around us depend on the decisions we make, the systems we design, and the integrity with which we uphold justice,” she said.
She described children in conflict with the law as a deeply vulnerable population, often shaped by poverty, trauma, neglect, and the absence of stable family or community structures.
“All too often, a justice system built for adults becomes the first responder to issues that are fundamentally social in nature”, she added, noting that the goal must be to guide children back into safe and supportive environments.
Adesomoju stressed that diversion remains a cornerstone of Lagos State’s child-justice reform. She explained that diversion provides an alternative path for first-time juvenile offenders, steering them away from prosecution and detention.
“Diversion is not about excusing wrongdoing”, she said. “It is about understanding that criminalising childhood behaviour frequently does more harm than good.”
UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dennis Onoise, highlighted the origins of the programme. He recalled that a 2016 UNICEF survey found Lagos to have the highest number of children in detention among the states surveyed.
“Children cannot be made to spend two or three years in detention with adults who are not their parents and whom they do not know”, he said. “We strongly advocated for their release and for a community-based solution”.
The advocacy led to the establishment of diversion centres and community-based rehabilitation initiatives, implemented initially in Mushin Local Government and Ojuwoye LCDA in partnership with the Lagos State Government. So far, the programme has rehabilitated more than 200 children.
Onoise urged more local councils across Lagos to adopt the model, saying broader uptake would strengthen protection, reduce unnecessary detention, and create multiple pathways for young offenders to rebuild their lives.
He noted that expanding these services aligns with international best practices and reinforces the principle that children must be treated first as children, not criminals.
As Lagos looks to deepen reforms, both the state government and UNICEF reaffirmed that a justice system rooted in rehabilitation, not punishment, offers the best chance for vulnerable children to reclaim their futures and reintegrate as productive, supported members of society.
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