PRELIMINARY CHECKS

1. IS THE CHILD BELOW THE AGE OF 16 YEARS OLD
   1. A child above 16 years of age cannot be eligible for adoption. In such a situation, Guardianship will be explored
2. DO YOU HAVE THE CONSENT OF YOUR SPOUSE, CHILD’S PARENTS OR GUARDIAN?
   1. The adopter must obtain the consent of his or her spouse when he or she is not adopting as a couple.
3. THE ADOPTER MUST NOT BE LESS THAN 25 YEARS OLD AND 21 YEARS OLDER THAN THE CHILD
   1. The adopter must obtain the consent of his or her spouse when he or she is not adopting as a couple.
4. LAWS IN THE FOREIGN DESTINATION
   1. In international adoptions, it is important to know the law, rules, or policies in the destination country of the child as we will later see in this handbook.
5. DO THE ADOPTERS HOLD A DUAL CITIZENSHIP OF NIGERIA AND ANOTHER COUNTRY
   1. The Adopters must be sole or dual citizens of Nigeria.

ADOPTION PROCEDURE

1. Submit an application to the Ministry of Youth and Social Development
2. Interview with the Director, Social Welfare
3. Completion of prescribed forms
4. Submission of documents and other requirements
5. Payment of prescribed fee
6. Administrative Processing
7. Collection of letters of approval
8. Familiarization with the adoptee for 3-6 months
9. Final Order of Family Court

WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?

The whole process takes a minimum of 24 months. After the interview and grant of letter of approval, your living arrangement with the child will be examined for a minimum of 3 months. It is safe to ensure that you are ready to go through each process when called upon by the authorities. Any delay created by the adopters can further extend the time.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. Birth Certificate of the Adopters
2. Marriage Certificate of Adopters
3. Medical Certificate of Fitness
4. Adoption Law of the United States of America
5. Home study report from country of domicile
6. Four colored passport photographs of the Applicants
7. Tax Returns Certificate for immediate last 3 years
8. Proof of employment
   1. Photocopy of identity card
   2. Letter of Confirmation from Employer
   3. Letter of Employment
   4. 3 months salary payslip
9. Utility bill for the last three months immediately preceding the application (Energy, Water, Gas, Telephone)
10. Statement of Account for 6 months
11. Data pages of International Passport (Coloured)

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OTHER FACTORS

Presently, the United Kingdom does not recognize the adoption process in Nigeria