14/07/2026
The Negative Effects of the Nigerian State on Our Families
I am yet to recover from the disturbing outcome of an experiment I carried out today. Perhaps you should try the same exercise in your own family. It revealed something deeply troubling: many of our children, especially those between the ages of 8 and 14, are already beginning to see life through a distorted lens. This, sadly, is one of the tragic consequences of the state of our nation.
As parents, we now have more work to do than ever before.
How do you explain to your child that "Yahoo" is not a course to study at the university or a profession that requires apprenticeship? How do you convince them that the uncle who drives them to Domino's Pizza for ice cream may not have earned his wealth legitimately? How do you persuade them not to admire or imitate a lifestyle that appears to have brought someone luxury cars and financial comfort through dishonest means?
How do you teach them that integrity is more valuable than quick wealth when society often celebrates the opposite? How do you convince them that politics should be about service, not personal enrichment, when what they witness daily suggests otherwise?
Our children are under immense mental pressure. Coupled with the educational system we have adopted, where many leave home by 7:00 a.m. and return around 5:00 p.m. in the name of extra lessons, it becomes increasingly difficult to convince them that education remains the surest path to a meaningful future.
Dear parents, the real work begins at home. If we fail to intentionally shape the values of our children, we may soon lose the ability to influence the choices they make.
The greatest teachers our children will ever have are you and me. Let us rise to the responsibility before it is too late.
