A non-governmental organization, ‘The Equipped Boy’, has identified mentorship as a crucial solution to Nigeria’s leadership gap.

The organization issued a call to action to the government at all levels and relevant stakeholders in the education sector to support initiatives aimed at mentoring and empowering the boy-child across Nigeria.

The convener, Dr Patrick Uduma, made the call while speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the second edition of The Equipped Boy Annual Conference with the theme, “Outmatched Boys”, held in Port Harcourt.

The project, which focuses on boys aged nine to 20-year-old is designed to train, educate, and inculcate certain core values in the boys to help them stand out in society.

The conference brought together students from over 15 schools and was born out of the need to address the imbalance in the moral and educational development of boys compared to girls.

Uduma drew parallels with the United States, which he said began introducing mentorship in various spheres of life to bridge its own leadership gaps.

According to him, mentorship involves modeling and coaching younger individuals on the principles of leadership, providing a framework that guides the new generation, believing that if leaders in Nigeria can imbibe the tenets of mentorship, it would significantly change the narrative of leadership in the country.

He emphasised that mentorship is not just about providing guidance but also about being part of the growing system and value system. Leaders, he said, should be willing to go into mentorship to shape the next generation of leaders.

He noted imbalance has resulted in boys losing concentration and lacking values, which hinders their ability to find themselves and reach their full potential, explaining that the initiative aimed to help boys discover their identity, value system, personal law, and ideas, and to raise awareness about the importance of mentoring and empowering boys.

Meanwhile, a panelist, Elijah Jeffrey, lamented that many parents in this generation are not equipped to groom their children to imbibe the right values.
Jeffrey attributed this to the introduction of technology and the harsh economic reality, which has led to parents prioritising financial provision over their parenting roles.

According to Jeffrey, many parents resort to using force or aggression to caution their children, instead of exploring better approaches.

“If you know better, you will do better,” he said, emphasizing the need for parents to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to raise their children effectively,” Jeffrey said.

Jeffrey also noted that many families do not invest in insightful books that can help parents instill the right values in their children.

He stressed the importance of striking a balance between providing for the family’s financial needs and fulfilling parenting roles.

Fyner Kennedy, a participant and parent of three boys, echoed Jeffrey’s sentiments, highlighting the importance of programmes like “The Equipped Boy” initiative.

Kennedy noted that many young people, particularly Gen-Z, are getting it wrong, with boys turning to get-rich-quick schemes like “Yahoo” and girls resorting to prostitution.