The Odushu Foundation in partnership with Alerte Universal Limited and the United Nations have challenged parents, teachers and other agents of socialisation in  society to invest more energy in the grooming of the boy child, warning that a society that neglects the boy child has already laid the foundation for crises.
 
They gave the charge during a one-day seminar they organised for male students of select secondary schools in Lagos themed, ‘The Boy Child Blueprint: Character and Purpose.’
 
The event, which was held at the Glass House, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, featured speeches by invited guests, a panel session, a quiz competition by the participating schools and mentorship and networking sessions.
 
It brought together educators, mentors, youth advocates, parents, students and community leaders who shared concerns about what they described as the growing neglect of the boy child in contemporary society.
   
Speakers stressed the importance of raising boys with strong character, clear purpose and sound emotional intelligence to ensure a safer and more balanced society.
 
Founder of Alerte Universal, Dr. James Useghan, said the collaboration was necessitated by their concern about the future of the boy child in Nigeria.
 
Useghan, a United Nations Peace Ambassador, noted: “At some point, the girl child is always reporting situations and cases; the boy child should also have the opportunity to be able to report issues as well. It is important to have this collaboration and also to encourage the boy child.

This is the first of its kind and we are really interested in it. We are hopeful that there will be more programmes on the boy child and practical programnes in terms of mentoring.”
 
Founder of Odushu Foundation and special guest of honour, Mr. Karinate Odushu, noted that while society has been advocating for the girl child for a long time, the boy child is being neglected.
 
He warned that if the boy child is not properly channeled/groomed, society will be in trouble.
 
“A boy child that is not properly mentored today will definitely become a problem tomorrow in our society. And that is why we have to come up with this blueprint. Character wise, they need to identify themselves; they need to know the reason they are created because the strength given to the boy child is not equal to the girl child and if that strength is not properly channeled, they will use it to oppress and to abuse instead of to protect and to defend wisely.
 
“The bedrock of every society are men whether we like it or not. If the boy child is not properly brought up in character and purpose, they will abuse it. For us to succeed and build a comfortable society for ourselves, we must look straight into the area where they are lacking as far as bringing up the boy child is concerned,” he said.
 
The guest speaker, Mrs. Moyinoluwa Olutayo, urged fathers not to outsource their responsibilities, emphasising that active fatherhood remains critical to raising responsible young men.
 
“The society no longer needs boys who are merely good; it needs men of noble character,” he said.
 
Olutayo stressed that character training should begin early in life rather than being postponed until adolescence. She also challenged mothers and guardians to correct harmful behaviour instead of excusing it out of affection.
 
According to her, society must move beyond outdated definitions of masculinity that focus solely on physical strength, dominance and emotional suppression.

“The boy child of today will become the leader of tomorrow,” she said. “If we fail to train him properly, the consequences will be evident in the future leadership of our communities and institutions.”
 
One of the participants, Showunmi Alameen Ajayi, a student of Ajayi Crowther Memorial Senior Grammar School, said the programme inspired him to remain focused, disciplined and persistent in pursuing his goals.
 
He noted that he learned the importance of resilience and self-improvement, regardless of academic or personal setbacks.
 
“The boy child should not allow bad grades or challenges to determine his future. We must continue to educate ourselves, work hard and invest in our growth if we want to achieve greater heights,” he said.