Adewunmi Alode is the convener of Boys 2 Men International, an initiative that is focused on raising responsible godly men for the society. A seasoned legal practitioner, who holds professional certifications from the institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, United Kingdom and Nigeria, noted that she is passionate about the boy child.

According to her, “I am actually a lawyer by profession and I have a passion for sharing knowledge as well. I am particularly passionate about the boy child. I am particularly passionate about it, because for me, I believe that the society is made up of men and women. There is a contribution the women bring to the society and there is also a huge contribution that the male folk bring into the society.

“But in recent times, it seems as if we have concentrated so much on the feminine gender while the men, if we are not careful, have been put into a position where they are not being empowered with the right knowledge and values to do better.”

Asked if her drive springs from a personal experience, the Law graduate of the Lagos State University said, “For me, it’s both personal and not personal. I would say it’s personal, because I have two girls and a boy. Tomorrow, my kids will get married as well and they won’t marry their brother; they will marry somebody else’s child. It’s also important that the person gives them peace of mind and also gives one peace of mind.

“Over and above that, currently in our society today, you will see that when you move around, you see a lot of young men who do not have a sense of clarity of direction. You see a lot of them in betting shops, you see a lot of them drinking, smoking, and gambling. If you take a walk within a short distance, you will see young boys who have mental issues. Why? Because they take drugs! There is also this level of exposure to pornography, which is also another major challenge. These things have an effect on the minds of young men. Am I saying it doesn’t also occur with the female folk? Maybe not as much, because we have seen so many platforms for women today that has helped a lot of girls to find their identity and to take hold of who they are. My hope is that we will create more of these platforms for boys to be able to take learning.”

Alode, who will be hosting a Young Men’s Summit on March 12, 2022, with the theme The Making of a man, added that the men we see today are a product of parenting by mothers.

“The men we see today are a product of parenting by mothers. Go and check out men who had discussions with their fathers, they are different. You can have a father figure at home, but he is absent even though he is in the house. When there is a man-to-man talk, it doesn’t have to be one’s biological father, it is transformational. Fathers will raise better men. I know we have a lot of dysfunctional fathers today. If fathers, who are struggling with one habit or the other, find an outlet that makes them better, they will turn out to become better men.

“We want to raise responsible men for the society. Whether we like it or not, this generation will come and go, but how can we help the younger ones so that the next generation will not be a complete replica? We can salvage these young boys during their teenage years. Once we can help them during their teenage years, a lot of then will turn out good.”