By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Development expert and philanthropist, Mr. Mohammad Adamu Adangba, has stressed the need for political office holders, parents, and other stakeholders to invest in capacity-building programmes for schoolchildren.
He said such initiatives would equip children with relevant technical and entrepreneurial skills, preparing them for 21st-century challenges and contributing to sustainable socioeconomic growth.
Adangba made the call during the graduation ceremony and maiden edition of the Free Summer Holiday Media Training programme organized by Ruko Television for primary and secondary school students in Kaduna.
He explained that empowering children through skills acquisition was a sustainable way of addressing street hawking, child begging, and other social vices affecting Nigerian society.
“During long vacations, instead of children spending time watching television or roaming the streets, parents should engage them in productive capacity-building programmes that will make them self-reliant in the future,” he said.
He cautioned that failure to invest in children today could create bigger societal problems tomorrow.
“If we don’t invest in these children now, they may become a problem to our families in the future. Many people fail to realize that ignoring children littering the streets today could make them a threat to our homes tomorrow.
“Even if your child is abroad, he may return someday, and those same children we neglect could become threats to his safety. Use your resources to empower a child—it doesn’t have to be much. Taking one child off the street is already a major impact,” he added.
Adangba further noted that extra skills would enable children to earn income even before gaining admission into tertiary institutions, reducing the financial burden on parents.
Parents who benefited from the programme, Mrs. Flourish Mordi and Mrs. Sunday Jennifer, commended the initiative, describing it as a timely platform for children to thrive in today’s information and communication technology space.
They urged children to pursue their passions and apply the knowledge gained during the summer training.
Some instructors, including Ruko Television manager, Mr. Gabi Okotie, and film editor, Mr. Paul Yakubu, said the programme provided practical training in filmmaking. Participants were taught editing, scripting, film production, and both pre- and post-production planning.
“Within a short while, they’ve learned to shoot short films, write scripts, direct, and edit them themselves. When we catch them young, they will contribute meaningfully to society in the future,” Okotie said.
Yakubu added: “We taught them how to organize clips, use editing software like Premiere Pro, and cut and edit their projects. I’m very impressed with this set of students.”
Some participants, including Adamu Mohammad of Air Force Comprehensive School, Kaduna; Divine Abundance of Redeemer’s International Secondary School; and David Adikwu Otache, shared their excitement, noting that they acquired skills in editing, video production, scriptwriting, acting, and film production.
The Free Summer Holiday Media Training, supported by parents and philanthropists, was designed to build entrepreneurial and technical capacity in children, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
