In a sweeping outreach campaign that criss-crossed Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, a youth initiative has reached more than 35,000 secondary school students with a message centred on identity, leadership, and national contribution.

The campaign, known as TOP Outreach 6.0, was organised by Teens on Purpose International (TOP) and ran for just under eight weeks, from 5 May to 27 June 2025. According to the organisers, the programme engaged students across 29 states and over 120 secondary schools, delivering sessions that tackled real issues affecting today’s teenagers, from peer pressure and addiction to low self-esteem and a lack of life direction.

At the heart of the campaign was a simple but powerful message: purpose discovery matters — both for personal fulfilment and national development.

Speaking during one of the sessions, the group’s founder and lead facilitator, Mordecai Orimiladeye, told students: “You will be remembered for the problems you solved — or the ones you created.” He said the goal of the campaign was to nurture a generation of teenagers capable of making intentional, value-driven contributions to their communities.

The sessions, often interactive and school-based, focused on helping young people define their identity, understand their role in society, and take responsibility for their actions. The outreach featured talks, small group discussions, and post-engagement support through the TOP Club, a platform set up to provide continued mentorship.

The campaign was made possible with the help of more than 400 volunteers who participated in logistics, facilitation, and mentoring across the states.

States reached include Lagos, Kano, Borno, Rivers, Ogun, Adamawa, Plateau, Enugu, Ekiti, Jigawa, Osun, Nasarawa, Abuja, and 15 others.

Teachers and school leaders praised the initiative as timely and impactful, with many describing the sessions as “unlike anything students had previously experienced.” Several principals have formally requested follow-up visits and integration of TOP Club activities into their school calendar.

Participants reported renewed confidence and clearer personal direction. In some schools, students requested the establishment of leadership forums to continue exploring topics raised during the outreach.

While the campaign’s scale and pace were ambitious, Orimiladeye says it marks only the beginning of a broader vision.

“We want to see a new generation of young Nigerians who are not waiting for the future to happen to them, but who are shaping it with purpose, clarity, and empathy,” he said.