BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), and the Chairperson of the Civil Defence Officers Wives Association (CDOWA), Kaduna State Chapter, Mrs Victoria Panam Musa, were among prominent personalities honoured at the maiden Kaduna Summer Children’s Party and Talent Show organised by the Naomi Stephen Children Foundation.
The event, also known as Favour Global Children Foundation, was held at the Stemar Pinnacle Event Centre, 3rd Avenue, Federal Housing Estate, Gonin Gora, Kaduna, with the theme, “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Play and Creativity.”
General Musa received the “Guardian of Peace and Youth Mentor” award, while Mrs Panam Musa was honoured with the “Pillar of Unity, Progress & Child Advocacy” award.
Air Commodore Aisha Abdullahi (retd.) received the “Excellence in Military Health & Community Development” award, while Dr Alabi Usman Dauda, Head of the Department of Fashion Design and Clothing Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic, was honoured with the “Excellence in Fashion Education & Innovation” award.
The children’s party featured games, a talent show, paper presentations, awards and interactive activities aimed at promoting creativity, confidence and leadership development among children.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Panam Musa commended the foundation for organising the programme, describing it as timely as children were currently on holiday and needed time to relax and refresh themselves before schools reopen in September.
She said raising children was a collective responsibility involving government at all levels, parents, teachers and families.
According to her, more opportunities should be created for children to play, explore and express their creativity, noting that such activities were essential to developing skills for future leadership.
The guest lecturer, Dr Dauda, who presented a paper titled “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Play and Creativity,” said play was not merely entertainment but one of the earliest and most effective ways through which children learn, explore, communicate, solve problems and develop confidence.
He said creativity enabled children to transform imagination into ideas, ideas into solutions and solutions into innovations capable of making positive contributions to society.
“Every inventor, artist, scientist, entrepreneur and leader was once a curious child. The responsibility before us is to create an environment where children can discover their talents, express their ideas and develop the skills needed for the future,” he said.
Dauda noted that educational scholars, including Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey and Friedrich Froebel, had emphasised the importance of active participation, exploration, social interaction and practical experiences in children’s learning.
He urged parents to encourage children to ask questions, experiment and create, stressing that children who were allowed to explore were more likely to become adaptable, confident and productive adults.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the foundation, Comrade Shedrack Ovye Anzaku, welcomed the dignitaries, sponsors and children to the event.
Anzaku said the programme would not have been possible without the support of individuals and organisations, including General Musa, who served as the father of the day; Mrs Panam Musa, the mother of the day; Air Commodore Abdullahi (retd.); Indoime; Seven-Up; and Nigerian Breweries, among others.
He said the foundation intended to sustain the summer children’s party while improving and creating more programmes to educate and entertain children.
According to him, the foundation began operations in 2020 and was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2021.
He said the foundation had previously carried out programmes including “Operation Feed 100 Kaduna Children,” hospital visitations and feeding of children in orphanages.
Anzaku appealed to individuals, organisations and members of the public to support the foundation in sustaining and expanding its programmes.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the representative of the Sarkin Gonin Gora, Chief John Dodo, and the North-West Secretary of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Hajiya Daharatu Ahmed Aliyu, among others.
The event brought together children from different backgrounds, providing them with an opportunity to interact, make new friends, showcase their talents and participate in activities designed to promote creativity, confidence and leadership skills in a safe and child-friendly environment.
