Foundation urges parents to prioritise children’s emotional needs – News Agency of Nigeria

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Development
By Hafsah Tilde
Abuja, Nov. 12, 2026 (NAN) The Yargote Foundation has urged parents to be more intentional in raising their children, warning that inadequate emotional support and communication at home could expose them to negative social influences.
Founder of the foundation, Ms Anna Hussaini, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Hussaini said some boys encountered during the foundation’s empowerment programme struggled to discuss their challenges with their parents, with some turning to friends for emotional support.
“A lot of boys are walking around with challenges and problems, and they can’t approach their parents,” she said.
She said some beneficiaries disclosed personal and family challenges during the programme without being directly questioned.
She added that their willingness to open up demonstrated the importance of creating safe spaces for children to express themselves.
Hussaini recalled a case involving a boy who avoided conversations with both parents and instead relied on his friends, while engaging in behaviours such as stealing.
“Yesterday they said the parents; they don’t love him because that’s how he feels. His friends outside are filling that gap,” she said.
She warned that when families failed to provide the attention and support children needed, other influences could take their place.
“If the family is not filling it, something will fill it. And that’s why I said we need to grab them before the street grabs them. And the street is aggressive about it,” she said.
Hussaini identified pornography, substance abuse and gambling among the influences competing for young people’s attention, emphasising that parents needed to understand the changing realities of childhood.
“The parenting of the 70s, 80s and a bit of the 90s has gone away with those eras,” she said.
She urged parents to examine their attitudes and approaches to child upbringing, noting that providing food, education and other material needs was not enough.
“You can’t give what you don’t have. We have to have parents understand themselves first,” she said.
Hussaini said the foundation planned to organise sessions for parents after its Empower the Boy Child Summit to help them develop greater self-awareness and improve their relationships with their children.
She also called for greater awareness of children’s rights, emphasising that parents needed to understand their responsibilities in protecting and supporting their children.
“Children have rights too. Parents should know that children have rights,” she said.
Hussaini urged parents, schools and community leaders to work together to create supportive environments where children could discuss their concerns without fear of rejection or humiliation.(NAN)
TIL/AMM
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Edited by Abiemwense Moru