To lower the nation’s crime rate, stakeholders have argued for providing Nigerian young with a solid moral upbringing and education.
At the eighth annual Ramadan lecture, which was held on Saturday in Ibadan by Criterion, an Association of Muslim Women in Business and Professions, the stakeholders offered the guidance.
The association is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is passionate about the wellbeing of women and children and dedicated to the advancement of society as a whole.
The theme of the lecture is “Youth Empowerment and Crime Prevention in Nigeria: A Collaborative Approach Through Islamic Principles in Parenting Corroborated by Government Initiatives”
The Guest lecturer, Alhaji Ismail Hussein, said that Nigerian youths must be gainfully engaged in order for the country to have peace and prevent crime.
Hussein said that parents and government at all levels must play their respective roles in inculcating good morals, and providing conducive atmospheres for youths to be educated.
According to him, the country is experience increase in kidnapping, internet fraud, among others because most parents fail to instill good morals and fear of God in their children.
“Muslim parents must give both western and Islamic education to their children, if we want them to succeed in life, while government must provide enabling environment for them to be employed,” he said.
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In her remarks, the Wife of former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Prof. Hamdalah Olaniyan, said that the challenges facing Nigeria was because youths were not adequately taken care of.
Olaniyan said that empowering the youths was necessary in order to positively engage them and keep them away from societal vices.
‘”To reduce crime, it must start from home. Parents have to take care of their children because whatever happenings in the society is a reflection of what is happening in different homes,” she said.
The Oyo State District Ameerah of the Criterion, Prof. Morufat Balogun, said that Nigeria had a fast growing population of youths that must be properly managed in order to reduce crime rate.
According to Balogun, the energy of youths is similar to a time bomb that must be guided in order for it not to be used negatively.
She called on parents and government at all levels to be alive to their responsibilities for peace, progress and to curb the security challenges of the country.
Balogun said that the association’s activities focused on Islamic and western education, women empowerment, marriage counselling and conflict resolution, advocacy for behavioural changes, among others.
She said that the challenges limiting the association’s activities included lack of a secretariat, inadequate resources for engaging services of seasoned professionals in correctional home activities, among others.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji called on parents not to neglect their responsibilities to their children in order to reduce crime in the society.
Raji said that inadequate care of the youths was one of the factors contributing to the increase in crime rate in Nigeria, which must be adequately addressed for the good of the country.
