How to Adopt a Child in Nigeria

How to Adopt a Child in Nigeria

Adopt a Child in Nigeria – Children are gifts from God, the good book tells us and they are like arrows full of quiver in the hands of a mighty man. It is the desire of every parent to have their children, raise them the way they deem fit and for us in Nigeria it can be very emotional to have or not to have children.

There are quite a number of reason; some people see as part of the reasons for getting married, some desire to train their children, watch them grow and in turn take care of them when they are old themselves and also for the children to raise their own families and it continues like that.

In circumstances which might be unable to explain and decipher, we find those who desire children not having it and those who are not ready to take care of one or even desire to have giving birth through premarital sex, rape,  and other means. Eventually due to the fact that they are unable to cater for the child’s needs (for a young lady in the university or secondary school), you find them discarding these children on the streets or some end up in orphanages and motherless babies homes. In these homes, the operators try as much as possible to give them the best upbringing but none can be compared to one given by parents or in a home.

Adoption comes up when those who have not been able to give birth decide to visit orphanage homes to foster a child that is not theirs. In this piece, I will be taking you through the process of adopting a child in Nigeria and the processes that have been made available or established.

The authority in charge of child adoption is the Magistrate court in any state.

The adoption process includes the following steps below;

1. Choose your adoption provider.
2. Apply to prove your legibility of adoption.
3. Get matched with a child.
4. Apply to get custody of the child.
5. Apply to ensure the child is made have an orphan status.
6. Take your child home.

Choose your adoption provider

Adopting in Nigeria involves that one follows the adoption code that applies in the United States. So one has to decide on whether to use the adoption providers as provided by the US and the different providers must be licensed by the US in the state which they operate. The Department of State is in charge of providing the necessary information for choosing a provider.

Apply to prove Eligibility of Adoption

Child adoption in Nigeria requires that one meets the requirement of the Nigerian Government and the US Immigration law. One will need to submit an application so that you can be found eligible to be able to adopt by the social welfare department in each state. To meet US immigration requirements one will need to file an I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition  with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to be found eligible to apply.

Get Matched With a Child

If you are found qualified to adopt, a child will be available for inter-country adoption and one can get a referral from the adoption authority in Nigeria. The applying families must prove that they can cater for the child in question, provide their needs and also make available a permanent home for the child. The child on the other hand must meet the requirements of being able to be adopted in Nigeria and also the definition of being an orphan under the Immigration Law of the US.

Apply to get custody of child

This usually takes a long process before it is completed and it will involve the following; the local authority in charge of such in any state and in Nigeria it is the Magistrate Court that is in charge of this, a competent court of law which will run the various legal processes that will be involved to complete adoption, adoption agencies even though there are no known adoption agencies for such in Nigeria recognized by the US consulate but applicants can seek the guidance of a qualified attorney  to start the process. The adoption application will be submitted to a competent law court and the time frame can take several months or a year depending on the documents and information provided.

Adoption Costs

This involves the various fees that will be paid to the various parties involved; adoption agencies, law courts, orphanage, immigration costs and the different costs that will be required for the various paper works which can run into some hundreds of dollars. The approximate sum in Nigeria will be around $500.

Required Documents

This part actually takes a lot of time to process so that the process of adoption can be completed and they include; Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Divorce decrees (where needed), Proof of Nigerian citizenship, Proof of US Citizenship, Financial proof of assets, Police Reports and any other additional documents.

Apply to ensure the child is made have an orphan status

This process will need to be defined by the authorities in Nigeria or the US Department of Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services just to make sure that the child is an orphan or meets the definition of being one under US Immigration Law.

Take Your Child Home

Once you have completed all these processes and the child custody is transferred to you as the new parents of the child, one will need to provide the documents that the child will need to start a new life; a new birth certificate and this can be gotten from the National Population Commission or Local Governments Areas, a Nigerian passport for travel purposes or for relocation and a US Migrant Visa which can be gotten from US Consulate or any of their embassy in Nigeria.

With all these completed, it is now your duty as a parent to train and nurture the child the way that suits you.