The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has urged Nigeria’s boy children not to abandon their dreams, despite the challenges threatening their future in a country plagued by insecurity, hunger, and underinvestment in education and health.
In a statement marking the International Day of the Boy Child, Obi described the day as one for “sober reflection” on the state of the boy child in Nigeria.
He warned that Nigeria’s future is at risk if urgent steps are not taken to protect its children from existential threats.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children,” Obi quoted Nelson Mandela as saying.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain highlighted the realities facing many Nigerian boys including severe hunger and malnutrition, lack of access to basic education and primary healthcare, worsening insecurity marked by mass abductions, and rising moral decadence in society.
“While our children are generally believed to be the leaders of tomorrow, one wonders how they will lead society tomorrow if we fail to secure their lives and future today,” Obi said.
He stressed the need for deliberate investment in the boy child, calling for sound basic education, skills empowerment, and mentorship with progressive values that can help build a better society.
He further condemned the neglect and abuse of boy children, warning that society would eventually reap the consequences of its current failures.
“We must stop the neglect and abuse we unleash on our boy children and begin to secure their lives and invest in their future for the sake of our collective future as a nation.
“As I have always maintained, the society we abuse today will take its revenge on us tomorrow,” Obi said.
Sharing a note of hope and encouragement directed at the boy child, Obi said, “And to every boy child out there: do not give up on your dreams.
“We are on a journey toward building a nation that not only secures your life and invests in your future, but also helps you grow and fuels your dreams so that you can embrace global opportunities that match your talents and aspirations,” he added.