A non-governmental organization 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 the theme “Boy’s Health and Wellbeing” and the essay topic, “Where are the Mentors? The Missing Role Models for Boy’s 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 that girl you are busy training today to marry such an untrained boy.
“In order word, 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 Crime Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, who was represented by the Commission’s head of Enlightenment and Reorientation, Aisha Muhammad, emphasized the urgent need for integrity and guidance among youth, decrying the detrimental effects of cybercrime on the mental health of young boys in the 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 instill ethical values.
“We have zero tolerance clubs in the tertiary institutions, trying to catch them young, to instill 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.
Highlight of the event was the official launch of One Boy One Skill Project by the wife of Ooni of Ife, Her Regal Majesty, Olori Temitope Enitan Ogunwusi. The project is aimed at engaging young male adults in different vacations to empower for the future ahead.
Also, there was presentation of prizes to 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.
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