4 things Harrysong must know before adopting ‘that child’

Last week, just a few days before his One Delta Peace concert, Five Star Music act, Harrysong visited City of David Orphanage home in Asaba, the capital city of Delta State.

While at the orphanage home, his manager
Desmond Ike Chima told journalists that, ‘ Harrysong has also kicked off the process of adopting a baby from the orphanage soonest; we shall make further details available to the public once all the paper works are completed. Indeed he is committed to contributing his own quota to making the world a better place’.

However, there are laws governing the adoption process in Nigeria.
For starters, Harrysong needs to know that adoption laws in Nigeria vary from one state to another.

1. The adoption process in Nigeria takes a long time, most times up to a few years.

2. In some states, both single individuals and married couples can adopt but a single person will not be allowed to adopt a child of the opposite sex, except in extraordinary circumstances. In most states, married couples must adopt jointly.

3. Delta State adopts the ‘Adoption Laws of Lagos State (ALLS)’ which says, ‘the law requires the adopting party to be not less that 25 years. In a case of a joint adoption application, the law requires that at least one of the parties not be less that 25 years, and should be at least 21 years older than the juvenile’.

4. An adoption order gives all rights, duties, obligations and liabilities, including any such rights and duties existing under customary law to the newly adopted parent(s). This includes the duty of maintenance, education, and welfare of the child by the adopted parent.

With the arduous processes involved in adopting a child, it remains to be seen if Harrysong will go through with his plans of adopting from the orphanage in Delta State.