The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have lauded Nollywood series, “The Boy Child’s Life”, a film that depicts everyday challenges the ordinary Nigerian boy child faces.
They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the red carpet of the private screening of the advocacy series over the weekend in Abuja.
Filmmakers, actors, government functionaries and representatives of civil society groups, as well as the cast and crew of the film, were present at the premiere.
The 20-series advocacy film brings to fore issues of deprivation, abuse, peer pressure and high societal expectations on ordinary male children across Nigeria.
It also highlights social issues, including molestation, drug abuse, gender based violence and unstable family dynamics affecting the boy child.
The star-studded series is created by Joyce Nwakanma Productions and directed by ace filmmaker Tola Balogun.
It features interesting blend of cast, including Sydney Diala, Joyce Nwakanma, and Nollywood young sensation Ebube Diala, who played the principal character in the film.
Dr. Godwin Odo, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Nigeria Office, lauded the project, describing it as a timely intervention on challenges facing the boy child.
According to him, the series was wake-up call for society to look at the deprivations and gender stereotypes society has imposed on the boy child, and make amends.
“Over the years, there has been an emphasis, and rightly so, on the life of the girl child primarily because there has been a lot of discrimination.
“In our cultural norms and practices, the girl child and women generally suffer from a lot of discrimination as we have a masculine society, a patriarchal one at that.
“But I think increasingly, the boy child now suffers neglect, and this film now offers an opportunity for us to beam the searchlight on the rights of the boy child.
“If you look at Northern Nigeria, for instance, in the streets of a lot of cities in the north, you see a lot of children called a Almajiri are mostly boys.
“Incidentally, you see a lot of them getting into substance abuse as coping mechanisms, and lot of them may get into petty crimes.
“Increasingly, there are many boys who are now suffering from sexual abuse, and this shouldn’t be happening if the society and government were alive to their responsibilities”, he said.
Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd),Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, said the movie was a reminder to society that the boy child needs serious and urgent attention.
According to Marwa, who was represented by Mr Muhammed Ibrahim, Deputy Director, Drug Demand Reduction Directorate of the agency, being a boy comes with a lot of responsibilities.
He therefore called for a holistic mentorship for the boy child to enable him make informed and right decisions
“Bringing out movies like this that actually show a kind of a storyline that portrays the boy child is very important to change the narratives.
“The boy child has actually been neglected, as they are faced with a lot of risk factors which predispose them to substance use and other invasive activities within the community.
“We say they are the future, while you change the girl child and the boy child that you neglected will come and put them in the house tomorrow.
“So what do you expect? A toxic home, so the attention we are giving to the girl child, should equally be given to the boy child”, he said.
Earlier, Ali Nuhu, Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), lauded the producers of the film for using their creativity to champion a new but crucial narrative about the male child in Nigeria.
Nuhu, who was represented by Mrs Halima Oyelade, Head, NFC Abuja Office and Director of Zuma International Film Festival, said the corporation was willing to support projects that promote national good.
“It is something that affects every one of us because if the boy child is not properly nurtured, he grows up to become a nuisance to himself and to the society.
“It is sad when you see lives that have so much potential go to waste simply because nobody was paying attention.
“We at the Nigerian Film Corporation will do anything within our own mandate to support this project, to support the fact that it gets attention of the right people that should actually take action,” she said. (NAN)
