The event, held at the JRB Skill Acquisition Centre, Ibagwa-Aka on 4 July, brought together adolescents aged 10 and above from different secondary schools across Igbo-Eze South in Enugu State, for a full-day engagement focused on mentorship, inspiration and developmental guidance.

As part of efforts to build a future-ready generation anchored on values, knowledge and purpose, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady of Enugu State, Nkechinyere Ihuoma Mbah, convened a transformative Teens and Pre-Teens Conference themed: “Soar Beyond Limit: Discovering Self, Purpose and Potential.”

The event, held at the JRB Skill Acquisition Centre, Ibagwa-Aka on 4 July, brought together adolescents aged 10 and above from different secondary schools across Igbo-Eze South in Enugu State, for a full-day engagement focused on mentorship, inspiration and developmental guidance.

The conference featured a series of high-impact sessions on critical topics, including academic excellence, sex education, moral values, child abuse, human trafficking, and drug abuse, delivered by professionals from the fields of education, healthcare, youth development, and gender advocacy.

Delivering her opening remarks, the wife of the Chairman of Igbo-Eze South council and Lead Coach of the programme, Empress Ugo-Ferdinand, emphasised the value of early self-awareness and structured guidance in building responsible and visionary future leaders.

Mrs Ugo-Ferdinand, a lawyer, paid glowing tribute to the First Lady of Enugu State for her tireless commitment to child-centred advocacy and the sustained promotion of youth empowerment across the state.

During her address at the event, the First Lady of Enugu State, Nkechinyere Ihuoma Mbah, who was represented by Chidimma Egonu, a lawyer, urged the young participants to take advantage of the rare opportunity offered by the programme and to pursue their academic and personal goals with seriousness and integrity.
She commended the initiative as timely and strategic, aligning squarely with the First Lady’s ongoing mission to nurture, protect and uplift the younger generation across Enugu State.

Mrs. Mbah also lauded the efforts of the Igbo-Eze South council for taking bold steps in advancing the social and intellectual well-being of young people at the grassroots level.

While addressing the Igbo-Eze South teens and pre-teens, the Managing Director of Custos Care Foundation, Egodi Igwe, emphasised the urgent need to speak up in the face of child abuse, child labour and other forms of exploitation.

She highlighted the foundation’s core mission of promoting social inclusion and protection for vulnerable groups across Enugu State, particularly through partnerships with local and international development agencies.

Comr Egodi encouraged participants to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities and strive toward a society where every child grows in safety, dignity and purpose, free from socio-economic vulnerabilities.

Conference features

The conference also featured bonus packages including free mentorship opportunities and educational materials, all aimed at encouraging learning and personal growth.

This initiative directly reflects the people-oriented governance model being championed under the administration of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, whose developmental blueprint places a premium on education, youth inclusion and human capital development. It further illustrates the synergy between state-level policy and local government implementation in advancing community-based transformation.

The Teens and Pre-Teens Conference is not only a milestone in the child development agenda of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area but also a model intervention aligning with global best practices in adolescent engagement and leadership grooming.

Notably, the programme also enjoyed the active support of the Ugo-Ferdinand Foundation, a non-governmental platform that has consistently championed mentorship programmes, health awareness schemes and the empowerment of the vulnerable within and beyond the local government.

Other dignitaries who attended the event included The CEO of Teenagers Transformative Initiative, Ngorin Abraham; the Deputy State Commander, Drug Demand Reduction, NDLEA, Jonathan Ibezim Onwunwa and team; the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Jonathan Upkai Awa; the CEO of Doxa Mums and Babies, Blessing Ngwu; the PDP Chairman of Igbo-Eze South, Ejike Sunday Amedu; the Secretary to Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council, Zacchaeus Ikedichukwu Ukwueze; the Chief of Staff to Igbo-Eze South Council, Anthony Odo; the Education Secretary, Igbo-Eze South, Judemary Ugwu.