Int’l Youth Day: Nwifuru’s Aide Makes Case For Male Child To Curb Gender-Based Violence
By Alex Odeh, Pan Afric Reporters
The Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Gender-Based Violence, Barr. Maryann E. Nkwegu, has urged parents to deliberately raise responsible and morally upright boys, describing it as the most effective and sustainable way to combat gender-based violence and protect women and girls.
Nkwegu made the call while delivering a lecture at the flag-off of the 2026 International Youth Week in Abakaliki.
Speaking on the need to address the root causes of violence, she challenged parents to pay as much attention to the character of their sons as they do to the safety of their daughters, stressing that every girl society seeks to protect will eventually encounter someone’s son.
She maintained that violence is not an inborn trait but a learned behaviour, warning that boys raised to believe aggression is a sign of strength or that women must always submit are more likely to become perpetrators of abuse.
“The greatest investment society can make in protecting the girl child is raising boys who know that strength is not violence, leadership is not intimidation and love is never abuse,” she said.
Drawing from her experiences as the Governor’s aide on Gender-Based Violence, Nkwegu said engaging with survivors of abuse had reinforced her conviction that preventing violence is far more effective than responding after victims have already suffered.
She noted that although the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law remains an important legal tool, the fight against gender-based violence must begin in homes, schools, churches, mosques and communities where children’s values are formed.
According to her, parents should regard good character as the greatest inheritance they can leave their children by teaching honesty, empathy, self-control and respect for others.
She urged fathers to serve as positive role models because their sons closely observe their conduct, while advising mothers not to excuse bad behaviour simply because a child is male.
Addressing young men, Nkwegu said true masculinity is measured by responsibility, integrity and self-control rather than intimidation or violence, while encouraging young women to recognise their worth and reject every form of abuse and disrespect.
She also called on teachers, faith leaders, youth organisations and community leaders to partner with government in raising a generation of responsible citizens capable of building safer families and communities.
Nwifuru’s Aide reminded the youths that they are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also the character builders of today, whose choices will shape the future of the nation.
She insist that Nigeria can only achieve safer communities and stronger families by raising boys who grow into men of integrity, compassion and responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of Nkwegu Medicals Specialist Hospital, Abakaliki, Dr. Ogechi Nkwegu, advised young people to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
She warned against excessive intake of salt, alcohol, cigarettes and hard drugs, describing them as major contributors to high blood pressure.
Dr. Nkwegu also encouraged regular physical exercise, healthy eating, routine medical check-ups and other healthy lifestyle practices as essential steps toward preventing hypertension and promoting overall wellbeing among young people.
