SOS Children's Villages Nigeria History

SOS Children's Villages Nigeria began its journey in 1970, when Hermann Gmeiner, the founder of SOS Children's Villages, visited Nigeria shortly after the civil war. His visit gave him insight into the needs of the population, particularly vulnerable children. This inspired the establishment of the first SOS Children's Village in Isolo, Lagos, with construction starting in 1970 and the first set of children moving in by 1973.

In 1993, construction began for the second SOS Children's Village Programme on 25 hectares of land in Owu-Ijebu, Ogun State. It was completed in 1996, and six children were the first to move in. This expansion marked the growth of SOS's commitment to supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Nigeria.

By 2004, the SOS Social Center was opened to serve as a hub for community-based interventions, including skills acquisition, healthcare, immunization services, and reproductive health support.

In 2007, the third SOS Children's Village Programme was inaugurated, expanding SOS's reach beyond the Southwest of Nigeria. The Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) also began in 2008 in three locations: Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja, aimed at preventing family separation by supporting vulnerable children and their families

SOS Children's Villages

Giving children a loving home with dignity and warmth, supporting them and their families in difficult circumstances, finding ways out of the crisis together with them - these are the central tasks of SOS Children's Villages.

SOS continued its growth with the fourth Children's Village in Jos, Plateau State, which began operations in 2010. By 2011, the FSP had expanded to seven locations, including Kaduna, Plateau, and Oyo State, reaching over 50,000 children, families, and community members.

In 2018, SOS Children's Villages Nigeria launched a new program in Edo State, focusing on community strengthening, and in 2019, it started its Emergency Response Programme in Maiduguri, Borno State, addressing the critical needs of children affected by conflict.

Most recently, in 2022, three new Family Strengthening Programs were approved in Borno, Plateau, and Oyo States, marking significant steps towards supporting more families and communities across the country.

Today, SOS Children's Villages is in 15 states of the Federation, impacting over 20million persons both directly and indirectly since inception, with Family strengthening programs, Community initiatives, Youth development, Humanitarian action, Advocacy, Child Protection and Participation.