The second edition of Comprehending Gen Z + Gen A with the theme “My Body and Boundaries” held on Friday in Benin City drew wide commendation for its bold approach to youth empowerment, inclusion, and personal safety.

Sponsored by the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Neda Imasuen, the event gathered students, policymakers, and child advocates to discuss the importance of body autonomy, consent, and mutual respect among young people.

In his keynote address, Senator Imasuen said this year’s edition took “a bold step towards inclusion” by addressing both the boy and girl child, stressing that understanding one’s body and personal boundaries was critical to building a just society.

“Our theme ‘My Body and Boundaries’ is not merely a slogan — it is a call to awareness, respect, and responsibility,” he declared.

“The girl child must know that her body is hers, not a tool for validation, exploitation, or control. The boy child must equally learn that true strength lies in respect, empathy, and protection, not dominance or entitlement.”

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He urged parents, teachers, traditional rulers, and policymakers to work together to nurture a new generation that honours their bodies and respects others.

“When we educate, empower, and protect all our children, we build families that are stable, communities that are peaceful, and a nation that is strong and just,” Imasuen said.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Edo State Office of the First Lady underscored the importance of setting moral and behavioural boundaries in an age where exposure and peer pressure often mislead the youth. She lamented that both boys and girls have fallen victim to sexual assault because of ignorance and lack of awareness.

“Anything that happens without your consent is rape,” she stated. “It doesn’t matter the gender — boys rape boys now, women rape boys, women rape women. Anyone who touches you inappropriately has crossed your boundary, and it is not acceptable.”

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She cautioned students against cultism, drug abuse, and indecent dressing, noting that Edo State has strict laws against cult-related activities.

On his part, Dr Osigbovo Eriamiantoe of the University of Benin Health Centre advised young people to take their mental health seriously, warning that substance abuse and cultism were leading triggers of depression and violence.

Representing the Edo State Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Permanent Secretary, Iryn Omoroguiwa commended the initiative as a “significant step towards empowering young people” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing safe spaces for youth engagement and personal development.

Impact advocate, Dr Owen Omo-Ojo, founder of HIGH Health Consultant, added that setting and defending personal boundaries “is not rudeness but courage, an act of self-awareness and self-respect.”

The event featured a talk show, drama performances, and the presentation of gifts to participating schools. It ended with a resounding message: empowering the younger generation through knowledge, confidence, and respect is the surest path to building a safe and balanced society.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, was temporarily shut down on Thursday following an aircraft incident on its runway.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream 400 with the registration number 5N-PZE, a private jet, had its nosewheel damaged on landing at the airport at about 2 pm.

A source close to the airport confided in our correspondent that the aircraft, carrying 10 passengers and four crewmembers, had departed Enugu Airport for Abuja before the incident.

The cause of the incident could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, but the source confirmed that the aircraft had been evacuated from the scene.

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The source said: “Yes, I can confirm an aircraft incident on the runway of Abuja Airport today (Thursday). The aircraft was coming from Enugu Airport but had a nosewheel incident on landing.

“As of the time of the incident, there were 14 souls onboard, including four crewmembers. However, there was no casualty among the passengers or the crew. It led to a minimal closure of the airport. The incident happened at about 2 pm.”

When The Guardian contacted the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Henry Agbebire, he did not respond to the enquiry from our correspondent.
Details later…

The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Uhogua, Benin City, Edo State capital, has lamented hardship caused by the economic situation of the country.

Coordinator of the camp known as Home for the Needy Foundation, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, said due to the economic hardship, feeding lifestyle of the IDPs has drastically dropped, adding that many of the students sponsored by the foundation in various universities are at home due to backlog of unpaid school fees.

Pastor Folorunsho, who spoke with newsmen on how the IDPs have been coping with the current hardship, said due to the economic hardship, a single meal where they used to cook 15 bags of rice has been reduced to 5.

Pastor Folorunsho, who is also the overseer of the International Christian Centre, while lamenting that the IDPs currently have no food, stated “it has not been easy feeding multitude as this especially with this economic situation of Nigeria, but the passion we have for the less privileged has kept us moving.”

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He added: “Normally, we cook like 15 bags of rice per meal, 12 bags of garri per meal, 100 tubers of yam per meal, but because of the economic situation, what we have is what we cook for them. Sometimes, we cook 5 bags, and this is very little. Their eating has drastically reduced because of the economy.

“At times, it will get to a stage that we will not have money to buy foodstuffs, but good customers we have usually give us, and when money comes we pay. Currently, we don’t have food. We really want people to come support their feeding and school fees.”

The coordinator, who disclosed that Home for the Needy Foundation is currently sponsoring over 400 students in various universities across the country, however, lamented that “some universities are not allowing our students to write exams because they have been unable to pay their school fees.”

“We have over 400 students currently in different universities, and as I talk to you we have over 60 that just graduated. A few days ago, 6 doctors graduated amongst the students, likewise lawyers. We have about 70 students that ought to have graduated by now but the universities didn’t allow them to write their final year exams. They are currently with us, crying, but we keep encouraging them that God will send a good Samaritan.”

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On healthcare, Pastor Folorunsho said: “We also need an abundance, because, at times, when we have emergencies, we have to be running up and down to get a vehicle, but if we have an abundance stationed here, we can rush to UBTH.

“We also need medical laboratory equipment for our medical personnel to run tests in the health centre.”

The coordinator, while appreciating those who have been donating to the IDPS, passionately appealed to “well-meaning Nigerians, Non-Governmental Organisations, the international community, even food producing companies like Dangote and everyone that loves humanity to come provide food for these children.

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“What these children need is food to eat, and they are able to go to school. They need notebooks and textbooks. We need those that will pay our teachers and their school fees.

“We all know where these children are coming from— Some of them saw their parents beheaded, some saw dead bodies — they saw all sorts of horrible things, so, they were highly traumatized in the beginning. Now that they are out of trauma, we don’t want them to go back to trauma again because of not having food to eat, or because of inability to pay school fees. Inability to pay school fees will bring trauma back, of which we don’t want.”