Stakeholders at the Global Boy Child Summit in Lagos have linked the rising cases of cybercrime, cultism, gambling, drug abuse, and youth violence in Nigeria to the growing neglect of young boys within families, schools, and public policy.

The speakers warned that failure to intentionally engage young boys could worsen social instability and youth-related crimes across the country.

They argued that while national conversations around child development have largely focused on girls over the years, many boys are growing up without mentorship, emotional support, economic opportunities, or positive role models, leaving them vulnerable to criminal influence and social disorientation.

The summit, organised by Boys Quarters Africa, brought together about 1,000 boys and young men from secondary schools, universities, and correctional intervention programmes across Lagos.

Founder of Boys Quarters Africa, Solomon Ayodele, said many of the country’s social problems stem from the failure to intentionally engage young boys at an early stage.

“A lot of the social and economic problems we complain about today revolve around young men. If we pay attention to boys, it will change the dynamics of society,” he said.

Ayodele said the organisation had spent the past six years engaging boys through mentorship and intervention programmes targeted at students and young offenders, noting that many boys grow up emotionally disconnected and directionless.

According to him, the group also works with boys in correctional centres and recently launched a mentorship platform aimed at connecting younger boys with older male mentors.

“We keep expecting responsible men to emerge, but society must deliberately build them,” he said.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dukiya Investments, Lukman Shobowale, linked the increasing involvement of young men in internet fraud, gambling, and cult-related activities to poor guidance and economic frustration.

“A lot of boys are already defining success through shortcuts. The choices they make now will shape the future they end up with,” he said.

Shobowale, who recounted growing up as an orphan in poverty, urged government to invest more in skills development and youth empowerment programmes to reduce idleness among young people.

Finance coach and youth mentor, Olubori Paul, said many boys are being shaped by negative voices at home and in society.

“There are boys who grow up hearing only what they cannot become. Those voices eventually shape their confidence and choices,” he said.

Paul stressed that many boys imitate what they see around them, warning that weak mentorship structures and the absence of positive examples are contributing to moral decline among young men.

He added that repairing damaged young men later in life is often more difficult than providing guidance early.

Speakers at the summit also called for stronger policy support for boys and men, including wider implementation of laws protecting male victims of violence and greater institutional backing for youth-focused mentorship initiatives.

They maintained that without deliberate investment in the emotional, educational, and economic development of boys, the country risks worsening social instability driven by frustrated and disconnected young men.