Childcare in Lagos - creches, daycare and nannies

Most Lagos parents work, the commute is long, and family help is not always nearby. Childcare is a practical necessity, and it is worth taking time to get right.

The options

• Creches and daycare centres take babies and toddlers during the working day. Many are attached to nursery schools; some are at large workplaces.
• A nanny at home, live-in or daily, often combined with other help in the house.
• Family — a grandmother, an aunt, a relative’s daughter — is still the way most Lagos children are cared for.

Hiring help at home

Choosing a creche

Visit, unannounced if you can, and look at:

• Registration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, if it is part of a school, and the licence displayed
• How many children per carer, especially for babies
• Cleanliness, including the toilets and the kitchen
• Safe sleeping arrangements for babies
• Power and cooling — a hot room is dangerous for an infant
• Who may collect your child, and how they check
• What happens when a child is ill, and which clinic they use
• Whether you can drop in without notice

Distance matters more than anywhere else. A creche near work means you can reach your child in traffic; one near home means someone else can.

Hiring a nanny

Ask for references and call them. Check identity with the NIN, know where the nanny lives, and agree pay, hours, days off and duties in writing. Introduce them to your neighbours and your estate security.

Health

Keep your child’s vaccinations up to date; creches should ask for the record. Malaria is the illness to watch most closely in young children: a fever means a test, the same day.

Malaria Having a baby in Lagos Schools in Lagos