In a powerful move to arrest what many now see as a deepening crisis in child upbringing and value formation, the Duke’s Infant and Child Foundation, under the leadership of its founder, Mrs. Augusta Olachi Anyanwu-Egbom, successfully convened the maiden edition of its Train-the-Trainers Summit. The two-day event, held simultaneously in Asaba and Warri over the weekend, brought together parents, teachers, education officials, religious leaders, and community stakeholders in an urgent call for collective action to restore moral integrity among the younger generation.
“If we continue on this trajectory,” she warned, “we risk raising an entire generation that is intellectually sound but morally bankrupt—children who may have certificates but lack character, who may have skills but no sense of responsibility, and who may achieve success but remain disconnected from the timeless values that hold societies together.”
The summit, according to her, was deliberately designed as an intervention—a strategic platform to equip trainers (parents, teachers, guardians, and community leaders) with the tools, mindset, and renewed commitment required to reverse the trend. She reminded participants that moral upbringing is not the exclusive duty of schools or religious institutions; it begins, first and foremost, in the home.
“True empowerment begins at home,” Mrs. Anyanwu-Egbom declared. “Every word we speak to our children, every example we set, every act of kindness or discipline we demonstrate, every boundary we establish—these are the building blocks of the leaders of tomorrow. We cannot outsource character to televisions, smartphones, or social media influencers.”
A significant highlight of her address was the deliberate inclusion of children with special needs in the conversation. She insisted that value reorientation and moral education must be inclusive, emphasizing that no child—regardless of physical, intellectual, or emotional challenges—should be excluded from deliberate efforts to build character and leadership capacity. “Leaving any child behind is not just an injustice to that child,” she said, “it is an injustice to the future we all hope to build.”
The dangers facing today’s children, she noted, are more sophisticated and pervasive than ever before. Drug abuse, cultism, indiscriminate violence, negative peer pressure, get-rich-quick syndromes, and the glorification of immoral lifestyles on digital platforms now compete directly with parental guidance and classroom instruction. Without a conscious, coordinated response from homes, schools, and communities, she argued, these influences will continue to win the battle for the souls of the young.
The summit received strong endorsement from the Delta State Government. Declaring the event open on behalf of the First Lady, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, the wife of the Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs. Ify Akpowowo, described the initiative as “a sacred mission.” Representing the Governor’s wife, she praised Mrs. Anyanwu-Egbom for her foresight and courage in confronting a problem that many prefer to ignore.
Deaconess Oborevwori, through her representative, painted a vivid picture of the modern moral landscape: “We are raising children in an era where core values are daily challenged, where identity is constantly questioned, where the loud and often toxic noise of the digital age threatens to drown out the still, small voice of conscience and purpose.” She called on parents and teachers to become intentional “gatekeepers” who filter the content and influences their children are exposed to, rather than leaving them defenseless in an unregulated digital wilderness.
Also present was the Delta State Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibuogwu, who brought the perspective of the classroom directly into the discourse. He expressed grave concern over what he termed “attitudinal derailment” among pupils, a trend he said manifests in increasing disrespect, lack of focus, and a growing sense of entitlement.
Dr. Ashibuogwu reminded participants of a simple but profound truth: while parents may never meet the proprietors of the schools their children attend, they almost always know the teachers by name. When a child excels academically or displays exemplary behavior, praise is heaped on the school; when the child errs or fails, blame is quickly directed at the same institution. “This places an enormous responsibility on teachers,” he stressed. “You are not just teaching subjects—you are shaping souls. When parents fail, society looks to you to succeed. This summit must not be taken lightly.”
Throughout the two venues, the atmosphere was one of sober reflection mixed with cautious optimism. Resource persons facilitated sessions on practical topics such as positive discipline techniques, the role of storytelling in value transmission, identifying early signs of moral deviation, building resilience in children, and creating safe spaces for open parent-child communication. Participants engaged in group discussions, role-plays, and commitment pledges, many leaving with personalized action plans to implement in their respective homes and classrooms.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. A primary school headmistress from Warri described the summit as “a wake-up call I didn’t know I desperately needed.” A father of three confessed that he had been too busy chasing livelihood to notice how little time he spent deliberately teaching his children right from wrong. A youth corps member serving as a teacher vowed to incorporate daily five-minute moral lessons into her classes, starting the following Monday.
By the close of the summit, a consensus had emerged: the moral reorientation of the next generation is not the responsibility of government alone, nor of schools alone, nor of parents alone. It is a shared duty that requires deliberate, consistent, and collaborative effort across all sectors of society.
As the Duke’s Infant and Child Foundation looks toward institutionalizing the Train-the-Trainers Summit as an annual event and expanding it to other states, Mrs. Anyanwu-Egbom left participants with a charge that rang out long after the closing prayers: “We are not just raising children to survive the future. We are raising leaders who will define it. Let us give them the moral compass they need to lead with integrity, empathy, and unwavering purpose.”
With over 800 participants across both cities, the maiden edition of the summit has set a bold tone for what promises to become a flagship movement in the campaign for value reorientation in Nigeria’s South-South region and beyond.
