A non-governmental organisation dedicated to community and human development, placing special emphasis on the growth and empowerment of the male child, Great Achievers Initiative for Youth and Community Development (GAIYD), has held a quiz competition to mark the 2025 International Day of the Boy Child in Abuja.
The event had as its theme “Boys’ Health and Wellbeing”, and the essay topic was “Where are the Mentors? The Missing Role Models for Boys’ Growth and Development.”
Speaking earlier, the Founder of GAIYD, Dr. Hillary Akpua, noted the need for a dedicated focus on the boy child and expressed gratitude for the growing advocacy for boys.
“If you have not been paying attention to your boys, please start doing so. Send them for training where they can develop more, because the girls you are training today might meet the boy you left untrained tomorrow. I’m sure you won’t want the girl you are busy training today to marry such an untrained boy.
“In other words, for the efforts we put into raising our female children not to be counterproductive eventually, we really need to do better in raising these young men God has blessed us with,” Akpua said.
The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, who was represented by the Commission’s Head of Enlightenment and Reorientation, Aisha Muhammad, emphasised the urgent need for integrity and guidance among youth, decrying the detrimental effects of cybercrime on the mental health of young boys in society.
“Girls are just there for the enjoyment, either the boyfriends or the wives, and that’s it. They are just there as a supporters club, so the boys are the ones doing this,” he stated.
Olukoyede explained that the EFCC has established integrity clubs in primary and secondary schools to instil ethical values.
“We have zero tolerance clubs in the tertiary institutions, trying to catch them young, to instil the spirit of integrity and talk to them about what they should know, what they shouldn’t do,” he added.
Olukoyede, therefore, called for collective responsibility from parents, educators, and mentors to guide young people towards positive alternatives and foster digital literacy.
The highlight of the event was the official launch of the One Boy One Skill Project by the wife of the Ooni of Ife, Her Regal Majesty, Olori Temitope Enitan Ogunwusi. The project is aimed at engaging young male adults in different vocations to empower them for the future ahead.
Also, there was a presentation of prizes to the winners of the essay competition.
While the first position received a scholarship worth 150,000 Naira, the second position was awarded 100,000 Naira, and the third position received 50,000 Naira.
