Sanwo-Olu seeks quality education for vulnerable boys

By Oyebola Owolabi

Wife of Lagos State Governor Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has stressed the need to promote access to quality education for vulnerable children, especially the boy. According to her, the growing neglect of the boy-child could adversely affect their wellbeing and threaten their future.

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu spoke at the closing of a three- day residential workshop, themed ‘Awakening the Boy-Child Towards Becoming a Change Agent’, organised by the Office of the First Lady.

The workshop held at the Lagos Model College, Meiran.

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos Boy-Child Initiative is to raise awareness on the rights and welfare of the boy child.

She explained that: “There has been lots of attention on the girl-child, but these girls will still end up with the boys wherever and everywhere, even in marriage. So we are here to lay more emphasis on the raising and training of the boy-child. This is the Lagos Boy -Child Initiative.

“The second opportunity is to promote educational opportunities for male children, especially the indigent ones. From research, we discovered that some boys have been deprived education because of financial constraints in the family circles. We want to tell the world that the boy-child needs available opportunities to be well educated. We are glad that the Lagos State government and other state governments are encouraging education to a certain level so we are here to buttress that point.

“The third objective is to facilitate the rehabilitation of the vulnerable boy-child through referrals. There are a lot of children out there, especially the boys who are victims of circumstances and so they end up on the streets. There is another cadre of people out there ready to capture them if other people are not ready to take care of their wards.”

The governor’s wife added that the fourth objective is to build a ‘new generation of transformed male children who will contribute positively to the society’. She noted that the erroneous impression that a lot of male children are into internet fraud or irresponsible must be corrected.

A member of the House of Assembly representing Eti-Osa 2, Gbolahan Yishawu, lauded Mrs. Sanwo-Olu for coming up with the Boy-Child Initiative. He said though there is need to lay emphasis on every child, the boy-child, often saddled with enormous responsibilities, must be well groomed and moulded properly.

He urged parents to guide the children, put them on the right path and mentor them, saying concerted approach is needed to raise good children.