As part of activities to mark its 60th anniversary, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Staff School (ULSS) has held a symposium on “Parenting in Contemporary Times.”
The public lecture, held on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Tolu Odugbemi Hall (Staff School Hall), marked the fourth day of events lined up to celebrate the school’s Diamond Jubilee. It provided a platform for parents, educators, alumni, pupils and government representatives to examine the changing demands of raising responsible and value-driven children in the digital age.
In her opening remarks, the Headteacher of UNILAG Staff School, Mrs. Eunice Akinade, explained the rationale for the theme, noting that while parenting is not formally taught in a classroom, teachers encounter its outcomes daily as they work with children from different homes and backgrounds.
She urged tparents to take the discussions seriously and encouraged pupils to listen, take notes and share the lessons with their parents. She added that children must remain committed to their own development, regardless of the shortcomings they may encounter at home.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, the Chairman of the UNILAG Staff School Board, Professor Joseph Awoyinka, said the future of the nation is being shaped in the home.
He emphasied the importance of parents who are present, responsible and guided by strong values. Drawing from his own upbringing, Professor Awoyinka emphasised that love and guidance are more effective in raising children than harshness.
Parenting as a Shared Responsibility
The keynote speaker, Dr. Jacob Adeyanju, said a parent could be a biological parent, adoptive parent, step-parent or legal guardian, but regardless of the circumstances, the responsibilities remain essentially the same.
He identified spiritual guidance, moral instruction, material support and emotional attachment as key responsibilities of parents.
Dr. Adeyanju observed that many parents now work long hours and return home exhausted, leaving children increasingly exposed to screens and social media. He recalled the experience of a young pupil he once taught who struggled to remain awake in class because both parents left home before dawn and returned late at night.
He also lamented the weakening of the traditional African practice of community-based child upbringing. According to him, there was a time when any responsible adult could correct a misbehaving child, whereas many people now hesitate to intervene for fear of conflict.
He urged Africans to examine foreign practices carefully rather than adopt them wholesale, stressing that raising a child is a collective responsibility and that schools cannot succeed where the home has failed to lay a sound foundation.
Parenting in a Digital Generation
A panel discussion moderated by Mrs. Eke Lydia, a journalist and parent, featured Professor Blessing Anyikwa, Director of the UNILAG Centre for General Studies; Dr. Moji Manuel, Acting Director of the Career Support Development Centre (CSDC, UNILAG); and Dr. Cynthia Gregg.
The panellists noted that children today are growing up surrounded by smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, exposing them to influences that can sometimes be difficult for parents to understand or control.
They stressed that parenting is a continuous learning process and that parents must evolve with their children while preserving fundamental values.
The discussion examined the transition from the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers to Generation X, Millennials and the current generation of digital-native children. Panellists noted that parents now compete with schools, peers, the street and social media in shaping children’s attitudes, values and behaviour.
They identified urbanisation, rising living costs, demanding work schedules and changing social norms as some of the pressures affecting contemporary families. Many parents, they observed, spend long hours at work and have limited time for direct supervision and interaction with their children.
The panel emphasised that the responsibility for raising children cannot be left to schools alone. The home remains the first environment in which children learn values, attitudes and behaviour, making a strong partnership between families and schools essential.
On technology, parents were encouraged to understand the digital environment their children inhabit rather than rely solely on restrictions. They were advised to establish appropriate boundaries, use parental controls where necessary and monitor the content their children access online.
Effective communication and emotional presence were identified as central to successful parenting. Parents were encouraged to create regular opportunities for meaningful conversations, understand their children’s individual personalities and temperaments, and pay attention to changes in body language and behaviour that may signal emotional or other difficulties.
The panellists also stressed the importance of parental example, noting that children often learn more from what their parents do than from what they say. Honesty, respect, humility, discipline, resilience and responsible use of technology were therefore identified as qualities parents should model.
Discipline, they said, should correct rather than damage a child’s confidence or self-esteem. Parents were encouraged to exercise patience, understand the individual needs of their children and avoid reactions that could make children afraid to discuss their challenges.
A distinction was also drawn between being physically present and being emotionally available. Excessive engagement with phones and social media, the panellists noted, can create emotional distance even when parents and children are in the same home.
Parents were therefore encouraged to listen attentively, create safe spaces for children to speak openly and pay attention to their body language. They advised parents to remain calm when children confess mistakes, noting that fear of a parent’s reaction can encourage children to conceal problems or lie. Parents were implored to build relationships in which their children feel comfortable bringing their challenges home rather than seeking answers elsewhere.
The panel further cautioned that a parent who is constantly absorbed in a phone may be physically present in the home but emotionally absent from the lives of the children. Children, in turn, were urged to support their parents, appreciate their sacrifices and avoid conduct that could bring them shame.
An interactive question-and-answer session followed, giving parents, teachers and pupils the opportunity to engage the speakers on practical challenges associated with raising children in contemporary society.
Ogun Government Commends School
The symposium also featured a goodwill message from the Ogun State Government, delivered by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. Kiadese Lukmon on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, Professor Abayomi Adelaja Arigbabu.
Congratulating the school on six decades of nurturing children, Dr. Kiadese said the quality of tomorrow’s nation would depend largely on the quality of parenting, education and environment children receive today.
He noted that parenting goes beyond providing food, clothing, shelter and school fees. Parents, he said, are also teachers, role models, counsellors, protectors, disciplinarians and spiritual guides.
The Special Adviser encouraged parents to listen actively to their children, maintain open communication at home, promote internet safety and responsible online behaviour, and work closely with teachers in supporting their children’s development.
He also advised young people not to measure their worth by online likes and followers, but by their character, knowledge and positive impact on society. He urged them to use technology productively for learning and for contributing to the development of Nigeria.
He further called on communities to support families and urged government to continue providing an enabling environment for children and families to thrive.
Pupils and teachers from invited schools, including Forte-Right Nursery and Primary School, Akoka Junior High School, CMS Girls Senior Grammar School, Peret Diamond School and UNILAG Women Society School, also attended the event, contributing to the inter-school and intergenerational dialogue that characterised the Diamond Jubilee celebration.
The symposium reinforced the message that raising responsible and well-rounded children requires a shared commitment among parents, schools, communities and government.
It also underscored the need for intentional parenting, positive role modelling, effective communication, emotional availability and strong school-family partnerships in preparing children to navigate an increasingly complex and digital world.
Report: Lynda Onah
Photograph/Photo Editor: Joshua Micheal, Maleeq Quadri (Intern), Kofoworola Lawal (Intern)
