By Olayinka Latona
The wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Foluke Adeboye, has called on parents, churches, governments and other stakeholders to take greater responsibility for raising children with godly character and values, saying Nigeria’s future depends on how its young people are nurtured.
Adeboye made the call in her welcome address, titled “The Mandate of Kingdom Education in National Transformation,” at the annual summit of Christ The Redeemer’s School Management (CRSM), a multidimensional ministry of the RCCG, held at Redemption City of God along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The summit was themed “Revisiting Kingdom Education: The Role of Stakeholders.”
She said the responsibility for effective Christian education begins at home, urging parents to train their children properly and cooperate with teachers in shaping their character.
Adeboye cautioned parents against over-pampering their children during school holidays, urging them to allow the young ones to grow in accordance with godly values.
“Every child must fear God because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. We see many of these children that look down on their teachers. If parents discharge their duties effectively, it will make the teacher’s work easier. Meditate on God’s word day and night,” she said.
She also urged parents not to shy away from correcting their children, stressing that discipline and proper upbringing were essential to national development.
“If only everyone of us can come together, do the right things, raise our children rightly, the success of Nigeria is in our hands,” she added.
Adeboye further charged children to obey their parents and called on churches to teach sound biblical doctrines.
She urged leaders to discharge their responsibilities diligently and exercise sound judgment, warning that failure to provide responsible leadership could create room for corruption, criminality and other social vices.
On the role of government, she called for the provision of adequate structures and learning facilities in schools, particularly in rural communities where, she said, some pupils still sit on the floor because of a lack of chairs.
She noted that such schools were often upgraded through evangelism and missionary activities because of the need to address the challenges confronting rural education.
“So many things are wrong and these children from the village have great destiny to fulfil. God is counting on them. They brought David from the bush to be a king of Israel. No child is a useless child; God ordained every child to be great. I believe by the time I leave, I must have made substantial impact over the education in this nation,” she said.
In her keynote address on the same topic, former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, said professionals who remained indifferent to the challenges facing society could not contribute meaningfully to its transformation.
Ezekwesili expressed concern over Nigeria’s education challenges, particularly the high number of out-of-school children, and urged Christians to demonstrate the values they profess, noting that they were called to be the light of the world.
She said nation-building required children equipped with character, competence and capacity, describing the three qualities as essential to preparing young people for responsible citizenship.
According to her, Christian schools must promote diligence, courage, compassion and stewardship as core values, describing the approach as character-based education.
The panelists also stressed that Kingdom Education should produce ethical citizens who actively contribute to society rather than remain passive spectators.
They said school activities, including curriculum delivery, should be anchored on a biblical worldview, adding that Kingdom schools must prepare students to understand their identity, defend their faith and withstand social pressure.
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