In a move to redirect national conversations toward the often-overlooked challenges facing the male child, the Boy Child Transformational Centre (BTC) over the weekend hosted the fourth edition of its annual flagship event themed “Walk in His Shoes” at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Held in commemoration of the International Day of the Boy Child, the event gathered parents, educators, mentors, and young boys aged 10 to 19 to confront the harsh realities and unspoken expectations confronting the boy child in today’s world.
Themed “The Man You See,” this year’s gathering focused on inspiring a new generation of young men to lead lives anchored in purpose, empathy, and values. Central to the event was the BTC’s signature “F.E.L.T.” principle—an acronym that encourages boys to envision themselves as Fathers, Envisioners, Leaders, and Trailblazers.
Delivering the welcome address, BTC founder and Chief Transformational Officer, Mrs. Nkiru Joel, emphasized that the initiative is rooted in a growing concern about the imbalance in youth-focused interventions which largely prioritize the girl child. “While empowering girls is absolutely necessary, we must also pay attention to the boys. When we look at crime rates and negative social behaviours globally, a disproportionate number are committed by young men. If we don’t intervene early, we risk losing a generation,” she said passionately.
Joel, a mother of three, explained that BTC was born from a gap she observed in moral, ethical, and value-based mentorship for boys. “There’s a vacuum the current school system doesn’t fill—around emotional expression, values, leadership, and responsibility. We’re here to fill that gap,” she added.
Addressing harmful stereotypes and societal pressures on boys, the BTC programme sought to dismantle the idea that strength must equate to silence. Boys were urged to embrace vulnerability, expression, and empathy as foundational traits for future leadership. “The world has shaped broken men by putting them in boxes: ‘men don’t cry,’ ‘men must dominate,’ and ‘it’s a man’s world.’ We are redefining that narrative,” Joel noted during her opening speech.
One of the most stirring moments of the day came from Damipe Oloyede, an eight-year-old student of Dansol High School, who delivered the first keynote address. With clarity and insight beyond his years, Damipe expounded on the F.E.L.T principle with vivid analogies—from lion cubs raised by pandas to biblical references like Eli and Samuel. “A leader is not a title. It’s someone who helps others achieve shared goals,” he said.
His definition of a “trailblazer” particularly resonated: “Trailblazers don’t copy. They create. They’re not always privileged but always driven,” he asserted, calling on his peers to act with purpose and conviction.
Veteran marketing and strategy expert Mr. Kolawale Oyeyemi, CEO of Axiom Intel Ltd, delivered the headline keynote, offering practical life lessons on becoming a leader in today’s complex world. He underscored four pillars: the need to first be a good follower, embrace humility, become a lifelong learner, and take courageous risks.
“Leadership is not a position. It’s a disposition,” Oyeyemi declared. He shared deeply personal anecdotes, including how humility enabled him to learn marketing from a junior colleague despite having no formal training in the field—an attitude that eventually led him to head marketing operations in Nigeria’s largest multinationals.
Oyeyemi also emphasized that leadership requires accountability, recalling a cautionary tale of a mentee who lost a major promotion due to his unwillingness to take responsibility. “If you don’t own your mistakes, you’ll never grow,” he concluded.
BTC has mentored hundreds of boys over the years, focusing primarily on ages 10 to 19, but Joel revealed that there are plans to start engaging younger boys as early as age 8. “We’re listening to parents and looking into expanding our scope. This is about transformation and starting early,” she said. She also hinted at a forthcoming theatrical performance that will visually dramatize the untold stories of the boy child. “People need to see what boys go through—unspoken, silent burdens. As Joel said in closing: “The world doesn’t need more men. It needs better men. And that journey starts right here.”