Int’l Day of Boy Child: Hillary Akpua Emphasizes Need to Focus on Male Child

Int’l Day of Boy Child: Hillary Akpua Emphasizes Need to Focus on Male Child

On the occasion of the 2024 International Day of the Boy Child, Founder, Great Achievers Initiative for Youth and Community Development (GAIYD), Amb. Hillary Akpua has highlighted the critical need to pay attention to the upbringing of male children. 

Speaking at an event organized to mark the day in Abuja on Thursday,  Akpua stressed that societal improvement starts with the family, and raising responsible male children is essential for a better society.

Akpua pointed out that while significant focus is often placed on the female child, the male child also requires guidance to grow into responsible and respectful adults. “If the family is corrected, our society will be better,” Akpua said. “A well-raised male child who understands core values, treats women well, and refrains from becoming a societal menace is crucial.”

Highlighting the stark statistics, Akpua noted that 99 percent of prison inmates are male, and the majority of crimes are committed by men. “We are not saying women are saints, but addressing these issues can bring hope for the coming generation,” Akpua added. 

Through sensitization programs in schools, Akpua’s initiative aims to instill values in young boys. He recounted a touching moment in Gwagwalada, where a student thanked him for the impactful message.

“I remember when we went to Gwagwalada, one student came to me and said “thank you for the message you brought to us” I asked what that is, he said “what you taught us here today really touched me”. I said thank God. That is the reason for this initiative. 

This year’s celebration of the International Day of the Boy Child focused on “Boy’s Health and Wellbeing. Akpua expressed gratitude to his team and supporters who have tirelessly worked to ensure the success of the initiative.

Also speaking, the keynote speaker, Barrister Dr. Mainasara Ibrahim Umar, said the high rate of poverty in the country is one of the factors affecting the wellbeing of children, especially the male gender.

He reminisced about a time when students were trained to become civilized leaders, emphasizing the importance of justice. 

He highlighted the disparity in wealth distribution in Nigeria, where 99 percent of people are poor, while 1 percent enjoys the majority of the wealth. 

Umar pointed out that Nigeria, with its vast resources, should provide its citizens with basic necessities like housing, food, education, water, electricity, and security.

“Leadership is a trust,” Umar remarked, emphasizing that those in power should strive to balance justice for all. He called for free and fundamental rights to education, water, and other essentials, lamenting that in Nigeria, nothing is provided freely except air.

“In Nigeria, 99 percent of people are poor, only one percent is enjoying 99 percent of the wealth. Nigeria is not destined to be poor. We have 148 different mineral resources. Gold, diamonds, bitumen and many of them.

“ As a citizen, you are entitled to a house, you are entitled to meals, every weekend you come and take the type of food that you want that will take you for a week. Education must be free, free water, free electricity, free Security for citizens. “Unfortunately in Nigeria, with the exception of the air you breathe, there is nothing we get for free, even  water. “Section 18 of our constitution talks about the fundamental right to education. Leadership is a trust, you are not better than anybody when it comes to background, but God decided to lift you to balance justice and justice should be equal to all and sundry.” Umar stated.