Founder of BoysQAfrica, Solomon O. Ayodele, has called for urgent and sustained attention to the development of the boy child, warning that the future of Africa could be at risk if current neglect continues.
Speaking at the International BoyChild Summit held in Lagos, Ayodele stated that the conversation around masculinity and boy-child development must go beyond symbolic gestures and receive consistent cultural and institutional support.
“Whether the United Nations supports it or not, I am a nation myself.
“I will keep driving this conversation because if we fail to raise wholesome boys, Africa will be in a terrible state within the next three to five years,” Ayodele declared.
The summit, themed “Redefining Masculinity: Boys to Wholesome Men,” brought together educators, parents, business leaders, and youth advocates to spotlight the growing neglect of the boy-child in social development conversations and the cultural consequences of that oversight.
Ayodele emphasised the dangers of commercialising the boy-child discourse and urged for a deeper cultural and institutional commitment.
“This is not about celebrating a day or selling coaching packages. The future of our continent hinges on this. We teach girls how to speak, walk, and lead, but no one is teaching the boys. If we don’t, the very girls we’re building will have no future partners,” he warned.
He cited alarming statistics on underreported sexual abuse among boys and the rise in suicidal tendencies. “Two out of 10 boys are sexually abused before age 18, yet society looks away. Just today, a young man attending this summit wrote that he’s had suicidal thoughts for three months, but couldn’t speak about it until now.”
The summit also announced the expansion of BoysQAfrica’s footprint across the continent. “In 2026, we’re going global, Lagos, London, Zambia, and Kaduna will host the next International BoyChild Summits,” Ayodele said, referencing the organisation’s 14 active centres across Africa.
Keynote speaker and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Opportunik Global, Kola Oyeneyin, stressed personal accountability and the urgency of time. “Regardless of what your parents did or didn’t do, you are responsible for your life. Life is unforgiving. Every day lost cannot be recovered,” he said.
He emphasised wisdom and respect for elders as essential traits for boys evolving into responsible men. However, he didn’t shy away from confronting a tough reality: the declining role of fathers. “Fathers are failing, not always out of irresponsibility, but because of societal pressure. Still, many have let their erections dictate their directions, fathering children they can’t raise,” Oyeneyin stated.
(Brief 2)
Activist calls for Etete’s recognition as Nigeria’s local content pioneer
AN Ijaw environmental activist, Dr Bolouowei Kurokeme, has called on the Federal Government and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to urgently revisit and recognise the contributions of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete, describing him as the architect of Nigeria’s oil sovereignty and a champion of indigenous participation in the energy sector.
Kurokeme, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists yesterday, also highlighted Etete’s enduring legacy, especially his bold policies in the 1990s that laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s current gains in local content development.
According to him, Etete’s foresight in pioneering local content is the foundation for the recent dynamic Nigeria First policy by President Bola Tinubu.
He said: “I wish to state, with a high sense of responsibility, that Dan Atete did not have a direct interest in OPL 245. It was the directors of Malabu who appointed him as a consultant to the oil firm.
“For the record, Etete was the one who set up the Marginal Field Decree of 1998 for the benefit of all Nigerians to be included in the oil and gas industry.
“Please note that the foresight of Etete in pioneering local content is the foundation for the recent dynamic Nigeria First Policy by the President that emphasises made in Nigeria goods.
“By the end of 2024, Nigeria achieved an unprecedented 56 per cent local content participation in oil and gas, as reported by the NCDMB. But we must never forget that this journey started with the visionary leadership of Etete.
“He was a pioneer who dared to challenge foreign monopolies and empowered Nigerian entrepreneurs at a time when it was unpopular, even dangerous, to do so.”
Kurokeme also noted that Etete’s tenure from 1995 to 1998, under the regime of late General Sani Abacha, coincided with a politically volatile era marked by international scrutiny and deep-rooted foreign dominance over Nigeria’s oil resources.
He added that despite the turbulent environment, Etete championed the allocation of oil blocks to Nigerian-owned companies, including the now-famous OPL 245 to Malabu Oil and Gas, in a bid to promote economic sovereignty.
He said: These allocations were not arbitrary handouts. They were strategic interventions aimed at transferring wealth, building local capacity and giving Nigerians a direct stake in their oil wealth.”
