NGO Awards Scholarship, Cash Prizes, Mentorship Opportunities to Boys

Precious Ugwuzor

The Boy-Child Transformation Centre (BTC), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has awarded cash prizes and mentorship opportunities to young boys across Nigeria, in commemoration of the International Day of the Boy Child.

Also, BTC in collaboration with KIEK Foundation, awarded a one-year scholarship to one of the boys, following his stellar performance in a creative challenge. 

The theme for the year, “Walk in My Shoes – A Creative Expression for the Boy-Child”, saw contestants between the ages of 11-16 from across the country make a total of 18 entries, using poetry, music and art to speak about their experiences of being a boy child.

The event which took place on Saturday, May 27, 2023 in Ikoyi, had in attendance, the outgoing Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Education, Dr. Adetola Salau; the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, filmaker, Oba Osoba, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi and other notable speakers and creatives.

The winner of the contest, Nasarawa-based rapper, Michael Francis went home with N200,000, while the first runner-up, Victor Okon (Cross River) and second runner-up, Pharez Obioha won N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

While Michael also got the opportunity to feature in an upcoming Netflix movie by Oba Osoba, Victor got an additional N50,000 from one of the sponsors, and a one-year scholarship courtesy of KIEK Foundation. This is besides the books, shoes, bags, and other items they got alongside the other 16 participants from numerous sponsors.

The founder and CTO of the Centre, Nkiruka Moghalu-Oguadinma in her opening address said that the aim of the event is to raise awareness about the challenges faced by boys and young men in today’s society through creative expressions.

She explained that the society must continue to foster an environment that encourages boys to express their emotions, passion and embrace vulnerability, encourage their individuality, and provide them with the freedom to express themselves authentically.

The founder noted that the immense pressure on boys to conform to rigid expectations of strength and stoicism not only hinders their emotional development, but also perpetuates harmful behaviors such as aggression and violence. 

She said: “In our quest for gender equality and raising the boy-child properly, it is imperative that we recognize the crucial role we all play in nurturing and empowering our young boys. Just as we champion the rights and aspirations of our girls, we must ensure that our boys grow up to become compassionate, respectful, and responsible individuals who contribute positively to society.

“In a rapidly evolving world that relies on innovation and fresh ideas, nurturing creativity is essential knowing that a number of boys are driven by their creativity which is either positive or negative. We must create an environment that celebrates and embraces diverse forms of expression, allowing our boys to explore and discover their unique talents.

“We must create safe spaces where boys can freely express their feelings, seek support, and learn healthy ways to manage their emotions. By doing so, we create a generation of men who are not only strong physically, but also emotionally resilient and capable of building meaningful relationships”.

She expressed optimism that “Walk in My Shoes” will be an annual engagement with bigger opportunities to showcase positive creative talent of the boy child.

Also speaking, Dr. Adetola Salau commended BTC for remaining steadfast in making sure that the boy child is not left out, when most of the focus has been steered towards the girls.

She said that the Lagos State Government has been working in this direction in the last four years and is looking to bring up more initiatives in celebrating the boy child and letting them know that they are also valued.

On her part, Odunayo Sanya, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation applauded BTC for mainstreaming the boy child, noting that it is important, as it takes both the boy and girl child to build a nation. 

She said: “It feels great that people are paying attention to the needs of the boy child. I am a mother of three daughters, but I also recognise the fact that both genders have to grow together. It’s collaboration, and not so much a competition. There are few organisations doing this, and I think we really need to celebrate them as much as we continue to celebrate the focus on the girl child”.