NOMADIC MALE BABYMAKERS VERSUS COLLUSIVE FEMALE ALLIES: CONJUGAL PAIRS IN FLUID COHABITATION AND THE SCOURGE OF EXPOSED CHILDREN IN MUSHIN AND IKORODU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF LAGOS STATE.

Sulaiman Salawudeen, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State
Adeyemi Odedokun, Federal University Oye Ekiti
Kevin Akpanke, Federal University Oye ekiti

This study examines the trend of transient conjugal relationships and their role in the rising phenomenon of children who lack expected familial protections in Mushin and Ikorodu Local Government Areas of Lagos State. It focuses on absconding (nomadic) males, tagged "babymakers," who engage in fluid cohabitation with multiple female partners, resulting in unplanned procreation. These relationships, marked by absence of formal marital bonds and lack of paternal responsibility, contribute significantly to the growing number of children who grow into street delinquents. The study employs mixed-methods approach, combining interviews, surveys, and field observations to understand the socio-economic factors that underlie these fleeting unions and their impact on the welfare of the child. It equally explores the complicity of female partners who frequently collude in such arrangements for socio-economic benefits. Findings highlight urgent needs for focused remedials to address the welfare of children born into such relationships. This research, in offering policy recommendations to mitigate the risks faced by such “exposed” children, highlights the implications of the unstable familial structures on the well-being of children, particularly concerning access to education, healthcare, and emotional support. It ultimately contributes to broader discussions on urban poverty, child rights protection, and socio-cultural dynamics of family life.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Population projections, forecasts, and estimations, Families, Unions and Households, Social network methods

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