By YUSUF BABALOLA
Growing concerns over the rising wave of moral decadence among Nigerian youths have been reignited following two recent developments: the violent attack on teachers at Ilugun High School in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and the Lagos State Government’s controversial appointment of social media influencer Mandy Kiss as an ambassador for its anti-drug campaign.
Journalist and social commentator, Yusuf Babalola, in a strongly worded opinion, described both incidents as troubling reflections of a society gradually normalizing indiscipline and immoral behaviour. He warned that unless urgent corrective steps are taken, Nigeria risks raising a generation without discipline, respect for authority, or a sense of responsibility.
The Ilugun High School incident, which went viral on social media, showed groups of students hurling stones at classroom windows, pulling down aluminium slides, and even physically assaulting a teacher. Reports suggested some of the students may have been under the influence of drugs at the time.
While the Ogun State Government condemned the attack, Babalola faulted authorities for failing to lay down a clear disciplinary framework that would deter a recurrence.
“The government’s weak response sends the wrong message that such brazen violence against teachers carries little or no consequence,” he said.
Equally controversial is the Lagos State Government’s decision to unveil Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, popularly known as Mandy Kiss, as an ambassador for the Kick Against Drug and Substance Abuse (LASKADA) campaign. Mandy Kiss, who has previously glorified drug use and promoted sexually explicit content, recently stirred outrage when she declared her plan to sleep with 100 men in 24 hours. An attempt that even the Guinness World Records publicly distanced itself from.
Critics argue that her appointment undermines the credibility of the anti-drug campaign and promotes the idea that notoriety and immoral behaviour can earn government recognition and financial rewards.
“The irony is glaring, Someone who once glamorized the very vices the campaign is fighting against is now being presented as a role model. This reflects a lack of seriousness in tackling moral collapse,” Babalola noted.
He further lamented that both family structures and government policies are complicit in Nigeria’s moral decline. While many parents shy away from instilling discipline in children, government bans on corporal punishment in schools have left teachers powerless to enforce order, he said.
Babalola urged urgent reforms, calling for parents to reclaim their role as custodians of discipline, schools to be empowered to enforce corrective measures, and governments to stop glorifying individuals whose lifestyles contradict the values they claim to promote.
“Moral decadence does not happen overnight, it is the accumulation of little compromises and misplaced priorities. Nigeria must reawaken its conscience, reclaim its values, and rebuild a culture of discipline before it is too late,” he wrote. “