Hamzat made the pledge at the presentation of Who Is She, a book on girl-child protection authored by Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election. The event was held at the Syrian Club Event Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The deputy governor said Lagos had developed a comprehensive social protection policy supported by a regularly updated social register of vulnerable residents to ensure that intervention programmes are more inclusive, coordinated and effective.
According to him, the register covers children, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, adding that the government remains committed to expanding and improving the framework.
“Lagos has a state policy on social protection and a registry of people who need to be protected. It is updated regularly to cover children, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. We will continue to improve the system to make it more inclusive and better organised,” Hamzat said.
He explained that the state’s social protection framework is implemented through various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with interventions spanning women’s affairs, poverty alleviation, youth development, wealth creation, employment, domestic violence prevention and welfare services for vulnerable groups.
Speaking on gender-based violence, Hamzat stressed the need to ensure that offenders are prosecuted and that such convictions are made public to deter others.
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“We need to ensure that when people are found guilty, it is made obvious. People must know that gender-based violence is wrong, criminal and will not be tolerated,” he said.
The deputy governor also advocated greater attention to the upbringing of boys, noting that efforts to protect the girl child must be complemented with deliberate programmes that teach young men respect, responsibility and healthy relationships.
“There must also be greater attention to the upbringing of boys just as attention is on girl-child protection. Young men must be deliberately taught respect, responsibility and healthy relationships. Governments and families must invest in raising boys to understand what it means to be responsible men and partners. Awareness campaigns and value-based education should target both genders,” he added.
Hamzat further disclosed that Lagos State had made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality through sustained investments in maternal and child healthcare, revealing that the government currently operates 11 Maternal and Child Centres strategically located across the state.
He also commended Who Is She, describing it as a practical contribution to the national conversation on social protection and the fight against gender-based violence.
“The book is fantastic. From the review, it is clear that it was written by someone with practical experience who understands the realities of abuse and social protection. It offers useful insights into the issues affecting our society and how we can address them. I look forward to reading it,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the author, Damilola Sonayon-James, said the publication was inspired by years of community engagement, research and documentation of social challenges affecting individuals, families and communities.
She explained that her interactions with communities exposed numerous societal problems and inspired her to seek practical solutions, resulting in the compilation of experiences and findings into the book.
“When I went into the community, I began to identify so many problems and issues. As I researched solutions, I realised that I had gathered a great deal of evidence. It became important to document these findings so that the knowledge and experiences would not be lost and so that others could learn from them without having to go through the same struggles,” she said.
Sonayon-James expressed optimism that the book would stimulate dialogue, learning and collective action among individuals, organisations and policymakers towards building stronger families, safer communities and a more inclusive society.
Reviewing the publication, Dr. Joy Oniyinyech Chionuma, a lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said the book sheds light on the challenges confronting the girl child, including limited access to education, maternal and child mortality, harmful cultural practices and other social barriers.
She called on governments at all levels to strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws and intensify advocacy against gender-based violence, noting that statistics show one in three women in Nigeria experiences one form of gender-based violence or another.
Also reviewing the book, the Managing Partner and Founder of Moroom Africa, Dayo Adu, urged policymakers to align educational investments with employment opportunities, warning that expanding access to education without creating jobs would undermine national development.
