MASTERMIND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION EMPOWERS STUDENTS IN LAGOS WITH KEY LIFE SKILLS (PHOTOS)
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By: Oduola F.A
In a landmark effort to reshape the conversation around adolescent development, the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Education District II), in collaboration with the Master Mind Community Foundation, held its inaugural Smart Teens Workshop today at the Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior High School Hall in Maryland, Lagos.
The workshop, which brought together 170 students from five public secondary schools in Education District II, focused on the theme: “Emotional and Social Intelligence: Key Life Skills for Today’s Teens.”
The one-day sensitization program aimed to bridge the long-standing gap in Nigeria’s educational system where academic performance has traditionally been prioritized over emotional and social growth. The initiative emphasized that emotional intelligence—comprising empathy, resilience, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills—is a critical component of personal and professional success, especially in today’s fast-changing world.
Addressing the attentive audience of young students, Adebayo, one of the keynote speakers, delivered a heartfelt message. He emphasized that academic brilliance alone does not guarantee success in life. Drawing from real-life examples, he explained that emotional and social intelligence often determine one’s trajectory in adulthood more than grades or test scores.
“It’s not enough to be brilliant in class,” Adebayo told the students. “You must learn to understand and manage your emotions and build strong interpersonal relationships. Many of today’s political and business leaders were not necessarily the most brilliant students, but they excelled because of their emotional and social intelligence.”
To illustrate his point, he cited examples of notable Nigerian icons such as Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and the late legal luminary Gani Fawehinmi, both of whom did not graduate with the most outstanding academic results but became towering figures due to their vision, passion, and ability to connect with people.
“Soyinka didn’t graduate with a first class. Gani Fawehinmi finished with just a pass in law school. Yet, they became towering figures in their fields,” Adebayo noted.
He also stressed the importance of reaching out to young people early, especially as they begin to encounter life’s social and emotional hurdles. “How you handle your emotions and interact with others will define your path in life,” he said. “Work on building these skills now.”
The Vision Behind the Workshop
Vivian Oghene, President of the Master Mind Community Foundation and convener of the workshop, spoke passionately about the vision behind the event. She described emotional intelligence as a survival skill essential for thriving in the 21st century.
“That’s why we’re catching them young, nurturing them, and creating an enabling environment where they can first understand their emotions, and then manage the emotions of others,” she said. “People management is key to success—whether you’re leading a team, working in a corporate setting, or even managing your home. Empathy, motivation, and effective communication are indispensable.”
She called on government institutions, corporate organizations, and private individuals to support the mission by partnering with the Foundation to take emotional intelligence education to more schools. “We are ready to deploy trained personnel to go around schools, educating teenagers on emotional intelligence. But we need collaboration and support to scale up this effort,” Oghene appealed.
Stakeholders and Experts Weigh In
Mrs. Bolanle Adeniyi, Director of Guidance and Counselling, Education District II, described the initiative as timely and necessary. She lamented that for too long, Nigerian education had focused almost entirely on cognitive learning, neglecting the emotional and social development of students.
“It’s quite unfortunate that we’ve based all our discussions in classrooms only on cognition,” she said. “But it’s time to start integrating emotional and social intelligence as it is crucial to the holistic development of our students.”
She emphasized the need for more trained counselors in schools and communities who can guide teenagers through emotional challenges, peer pressure, and social integration. “What we can do as stakeholders is to keep encouraging these young ones to navigate the journey of emotional and social growth. But we need more hands, more counselors—especially at the grassroots level.”
Students Share Their Reflections
Following the session, several students expressed a sense of transformation, saying the workshop exposed them to a vital aspect of education they had either neglected or knew very little about.
One student remarked, “I used to think being intelligent was just about passing exams. But now I know that understanding my emotions and knowing how to relate with others is just as important.” Others noted that they were beginning to see things differently and would consciously start practicing emotional control and empathy.
A Groundbreaking Start
This Smart Teens Workshop marks the first flagship outreach of the Master Mind Community Foundation in collaboration with Lagos State’s Education District II. With the enthusiastic participation of five schools and 170 students, the event has set a precedent for future initiatives focused on holistic student development.
By shifting the spotlight from cognitive excellence alone to the broader, more sustainable pillars of emotional and social awareness, the workshop signals a new chapter in Nigerian youth education—one that promises to raise a generation of not just smart, but truly well-rounded teens.
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