National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Dayo Emmanuel
A civil society organization, Masterminds Community Foundation, recently held a one-day workshop for secondary school students in Lagos State, aimed at enhancing their understanding of emotional and social intelligence. The event brought together 170 students from five secondary schools in Mende, Maryland, Lagos, under the theme “Emotional and Social Intelligence Workshop.”
Speaking at the event, the convener and President of Masterminds Community Foundation, Vivian Oghene Abraham, emphasized the urgency of instilling emotional and social values in young people.
“We recognize that many of our societal challenges are primarily because of poor emotional and social values which the child grows with, so educating young minds should be proactive and set towards national transformation,” Abraham said.
She explained that the workshop is part of a youth development initiative designed to help teenagers understand themselves and others better, noting that in today’s world, academic knowledge alone is not enough.
“In a world where academic knowledge is no longer enough, the ability to understand and manage emotions, build strong relationships, and communicate effectively has become essential,” she added.
According to her, the workshop aimed to equip teens with practical tools to recognize and regulate their emotions in healthy ways, improve their interpersonal skills, show empathy, and make responsible decisions.
“The goal is to foster self-awareness, resilience, and a mindset of continuous personal growth. At the end of today, we want each participant to leave with greater confidence, deeper self-awareness, and strategies to navigate life’s challenges and relationships,” Abraham said.
She further noted that the organization is open to partnerships and collaborations with government agencies and corporate bodies to expand the reach of the initiative to more schools across Lagos and other states.
“We are calling on the government, concerned bodies, and individuals to collaborate with us. This is our first flagship event, and we’re happy to deploy more facilitators to schools to educate them on emotional intelligence,” she said.
Responding to why only five schools participated, Abraham clarified that it was only the beginning and plans were underway to engage both public and private schools. “We’ve developed a workbook to engage students more effectively. We also look forward to partnering with private schools who are interested in this cause,” she said.
Abraham, who lived in Lagos, said the initiative is her way of giving back to the state. “Lagos has been kind to me. This is my way of saying thank you. We hope to expand to other states with support from their governments.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Adeyemi Adebayo, an education consultant and former Director at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, educated the students on the meaning and importance of emotional and social intelligence.
“It is my pleasure to be here. I’ve been a teacher all my life and recently retired from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. I thought retirement would bring rest, but I’ve been busier than ever, travelling and speaking,” he said.
Drawing from his personal experiences, Adebayo highlighted the limitations of academic intelligence without emotional depth.
“Many believe that academic excellence—making good grades in English, Mathematics, and Science—is all there is. But your intelligence may take you forward; it may not take you far,” he stated. “Think of the most popular people in the world—how many of them made first class in the university?”
Adebayo stressed the importance of socialization, noting that human beings are naturally social. “God created man as a social being. That means you cannot make headway alone. Even in learning, children learn best when they learn together,” he said.
Encouraging students to build relationships, he said, “Those who study alone may be missing something. You need to interact. Relationship is important. Don’t allow your connections to end prematurely. Emotional intelligence includes maintaining relationships.”
He also noted that different people have different strengths, and one’s value isn’t solely defined by academic prowess. “Someone who is better than you in Mathematics is not more intelligent than you. We have different intelligences.”
Discussing emotional management, Adebayo warned that unchecked emotions could lead to self-destruction. “You see cases where people commit suicide after being jilted or schemed out of something. That happens because they couldn’t manage their emotions. Children must learn how to control their emotions even while in school,” he said.
He further explained, “Life is not a 100-meter dash; it is a marathon. Don’t compare your life with others. Don’t let your feelings dictate your life, and don’t use your feelings to hurt others.”
Quoting from the Bible, Adebayo noted, “God said it is not good for man to be alone. That means interaction is essential. Students must learn to maintain friendships, because that person you ignore today may be the key to an opportunity tomorrow.”
He stressed that being socially intelligent includes the ability to recognize valuable relationships. “It is not out of place to marry your fellow student. Many of my former students became husband and wife because they were socially intelligent.”
On the roles of various stakeholders in a child’s emotional development, Adebayo underscored the importance of collaboration between parents, schools, and organizations.
“Education has many stakeholders. Parents cannot take the role of teachers. Teachers cannot take the role of social organizations like the organizers of this workshop. The role of parents is to lay a foundation. The school builds on that, and society complements both,” he explained.
He gave a practical example, stating that schools don’t teach counting from scratch. “When schools teach addition, it builds on what children already learned at home—when they were told to bring one spoon or one plate. Likewise, the school cannot teach emotional intelligence in a vacuum. Social organizations help fill that gap.”
In closing, Adebayo expressed hope that the students would walk away more emotionally balanced and socially aware. “The goal is for you to leave here more emotionally intelligent and socially aware. That’s what will help you navigate the future better,” he said.
The Emotional and Social Intelligence Workshop by Masterminds Community Foundation is just one step in what the organizers hope will be a broader, ongoing initiative to prepare young Nigerians for the complexities of life and relationships in a fast-changing world.
