“Don’t Waste the Nigerian Child” RISUWA President Rallies Parents to Tap Hidden Treasure in Children

With an emotional charge and a visionary call to action, the President of the Rivers State University Women Association (RISUWA), Victoria Zeb-Obipi, led this year’s Children’s Day celebration with a challenge to parents, educators, and society to stop wasting the Nigerian child.

Speaking at the RISUWA Education Centre, venue of the 2025 Children’s Day celebration, Victoria, who is also the wife of the Vice Chancellor, drew from the national theme, “Tapping the Untapped Natural Treasure” to call for deliberate investment in children’s growth, values, and development.

“Our children are bursting with potential, creativity, and intelligence, but unless we deliberately invest in their education, their moral development, and their environment, that potential remains untapped and even wasted, she declared”.

“As Prof. M. U. Ndagi rightly stated, stop wasting the Nigerian child. If we fail to guarantee quality education, the child’s most basic right, then we have failed at the foundation of nation-building”.

Victoria noted RISUWA organized the celebration not just to mark a calendar event, but to appreciate the staff of Rivers State University through their children.

“This celebration is our way of giving back to recognise and appreciate not only your professional efforts, but the families that support and surround you, especially your children, who are truly a source of pride and hope for the future”.

Her stirring address was followed by that of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who reaffirmed the university’s commitment to children’s development.

“Our children are a precious resource, full of untapped potential and possibilities. Let us create an environment that allows them to laugh, learn, and shine”.

He noted that Rivers State University continues to support key institutions that serve children, including RISUWA’s Education Centre, the Staff School, and the International Secondary School.

Also, the Registrar, Ibimonia Harry added a striking metaphor to the conversation, likening children to computers, outputs depending on what’s fed into them.

“We know that kids have a lot of potentials and it’s what you give them, they bring out, they are like computers. If you dish in something useful, hopefully, you will also gain from them”.

“We told them that they should learn to obey their teachers, study hard and love the Lord, we want this school to turn out unique kids, we’re celebrating them so that they know we love them. It’s not just about school fees and going home, we want to give them the best”.

The celebration was filled with vibrant activity from sack races and egg races to music, cultural dances, news casting, and more.

Pupils and students from the RISUWA nursery, RSU Staff School, and the International Secondary School participated, along with children of staffs from other schools.

Amid the excitement, Jersey Samuel, a Primary 5 pupil, couldn’t hide his joy.

“I’m feeling very happy that the University management organised this kind of event, I don’t even know how to describe it, I feel so happy and grateful about what they have done today, I just want to say a big thanks to all of the university management, the VC and his wife, thanks to all of them”.

A JSS1 student, Esther Daminabo glowed with excitement.

“I feel very happy, yesterday when they told us about this Children’s Day party at UWA I felt very happy, I’m excited seeing my friends, I feel very happy, I’m really enjoying the event”.