Training Targets Better Case Management, Referrals and Real-Time Monitoring Across Communities
The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has trained 50 Auxiliary Social Workers on the Child Protection Information Management System to strengthen child protection and social welfare services in the state.
The two-day training, held from September 10 to 11, 2026, took place at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion in Ibadan.
The Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Joke Sanni, said the training was important for improving case management, referrals, monitoring and decision-making through accurate and timely information.
Sanni said the state was prioritising capacity building, community-based child protection, alternative care, prevention and response to violence against children, gender-based violence interventions and improved social service delivery.
She urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to improve child protection services at the community and local government levels.
The UNICEF Child Protection Officer for Data, Planning and Monitoring, Aminu Awal Sani, said the training was part of Oyo’s transition from paper-based to digital case management.
He said the state was adopting PRIMERO, an electronic protection information management platform that would allow Auxiliary Social Workers to identify cases, provide services and make referrals directly from the field.
According to him, the system would support real-time monitoring of cases and improve the availability of reliable data for planning and decision-making.
UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dennis Onoise, said strengthening community-based child protection structures was necessary because of the shortage of professional social workers in the country.
He explained that trained Auxiliary Social Workers would help identify and document cases of child abuse, including sexual and physical abuse and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, while facilitating appropriate referrals.
The digital system is expected to be extended to other local government areas across Oyo State to equip more community-based social workers with the skills needed to protect children, particularly in the digital space.