Ondo State Government has expressed the need to train adolescent boys and the girl-child to reach their potentials and for future quality leadership positions, assuring that that such training will end many vices in the society.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Mrs Olamide Falana, said this on Wednesday in Akure at the close of a 8-day Superboy Outreach Camp 2022 held for 118 adolescent boys at Christ the Redeemer Secondary School Akure (CRISSA).
Falana lamented that boys in their adolescent ages are faced with series of challenges ranging from drug abuse, bullying, cultism, alcohol, rape, fraud and lure for quick money syndrome amongst others.
According to her, the outreach that was organized by the state Gender office in partnership with Superboy Nigeria, selected 118 adolescent boys across the 18 local governments of the state to give them positive orientation, skills acquisition.
“We endure that they have the right mindset so that they can always go ahead to do the right thing and be the beacons of change to this generation and oncoming ones.
Falana disclosed that the participants were exposed to tech skills, music, dance, karate, symposium, skill acquisition, coding, games, sports, talent hunt, film shows, boy’s discovery and series of career talks by professionals.
Falana, noted that the training was for boys between ages 10 and 17 years, saying it was the first time such would be organized in the state and Southwest.
“It is very inclusive because we have boys that are with different disabilities, mobility and physically inspired, albinos; it is our own way to teach our boys to show empathy for such people rather than have them stigmatized or push them aside,” the SA said.
The Deputy Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa who represented at the event by Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Student Affairs, Hon Muyiwa Ogunyemi, pledged his support to the programme during the next edition
The Team Director and President of Superboy Outreach, Mrs Taiwo Akindeko, said the boys were camped, trained and churned out as strong agents of socialization that will reduce the negative effects of peer pressure in the society, making them light-bearers for the upcoming generation.
The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, expressed delight at the initiative to take care of the boys, affirming that it would complement the efforts at developing male child as future leaders.
Ademola-Olateju, who lauded Hon Olamide Falana for blazing the trail in the region on gender issues, described the training as impactful, saying “the boys are confident, they have learnt everything from boxing, karate, sex education to advocacy for domestic violence.
“Why I am very proud of this programme is that boys are being taught to be protectors of girls and not adversarial to the girls,” the Commissioner.
Other dignitaries and top-government functionaries at the event included representatives of the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology; Commissioner for Energy, Mines and Mineral Resources, Engr. Razaq Obe, amongst others.
