UNIPORT don seeks parental education to check decadent behaviour

A university don, Professor Chinelo Ugwu, has advocated the need for parental education in Nigeria following the rising decadent behaviour among teens and youths.

Ugwu, who is a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt and founder of Gilt Counselling Consult, disclosed this in an interview during an event in Port Harcourt to mark the one year anniversary of the organization.

She advised teachers and parents to refrain from using or calling their students and children derogatory words because such action could reduce their self- esteem.

“My consults came into existence on 22nd October 2025, out of my passion and divine call to support and be of significant help to youths and teenagers,” she said.

The don explained that she decided to extend her teaching from the classroom following about four decades experience in the education sector and findings that many people fail to maximize their potential.

“In Gilt Counselling Consult, our mantra is empowering teens and youths for optimal development. I have been in the education sector for almost 40 years, since 1988.

“So I’ve been in the classroom and I saw that quite a good number of individuals did not maximize their potentials due to lack of parental support, due to lack of general guidance and counselling.

“In psychology we see the youth, the adolescent stage, we see it as a period of stress and storm; because the youth is neither adult nor child. So they’re battling with who they are, which we also call the identity crisis.”

While noting that some people are slow learners and others fast learners, Ugwu said, “So when they’re having those challenges academically, some teachers are calling them coconut heads, never do well, and so on; that kind of name-calling reduces their self-esteem. It brings in a lack of confidence.”

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Ugwu said many teens and youths run into crisis and suffer mental health challenges even due to mistakes of their own parents which gives vent to the need for proper guidance.

“Guild Counselling Consult, is passionately, intentionally, and professionally established to help Nigerian youths, in particular, to understand who they are. Help them on the journey,” she said.

While noting that parents might not entirely be blamed for immoral behaviour, she said some lack knowledge.

“So, we need parents’ education in Nigeria. There should also be visits to communities; going to communities to do what we call psycho-education.

“I gather these parents and I begin to teach them about child upbringing because they don’t know it. The government should support the work of counsellors to create more awareness.

“So, you go to communities, you gather parents in the church, like what I want to bring in now for the church. That psycho-education can also be taking place in the church where there will be an opportunity to teach the parents’ values, the needs of the children.

“In society where I come, they say when a child is good, it’s the father’s child. When a child is bad, it’s the mother’s child. So, we start with the women, teaching them.

“So, I’m not blaming anybody in particular, but generally how do we help these youths? I say one of the ways of helping them is to do psycho-education for all the stakeholders.”

Ogwu said the feedback received from recent outreaches the firm held in schools and boot camps was encouraging with parents and teachers giving testimonies on noticeable improvements in their students and children.