The Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate, the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Dr Henry C. Ndukuba, has expressed concern over what he described as the loss of valuable societal values among younger generations, particularly Gen Zs and Gen Alpha.
Ndukuba raised the concern while speaking during the dinner held in his honour by the Obafemi Awolowo family in Ikenne, Ogun State.
He said Nigeria was gradually losing some of the values that shaped previous generations, particularly as young people increasingly looked up to celebrities as role models.
The Primate questioned the influence and messages of some contemporary celebrities, saying many young people appeared more familiar with celebrities than with historical figures who made significant contributions to society.
“I know that the Gen Zs and I think the Alphas may know more of the celebrities,” he said.
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Ndukwuba said growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, people were familiar with music that carried meaningful messages, expressing concern that the situation had changed.
“Today, even when they dance, I don’t know what they are dancing to. But it seems that we are losing something very precious,” he said.
He also criticised the decline of history education in Nigerian schools, warning that young people who do not understand the country’s history may struggle to appreciate where the nation is headed.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know why our education managers decided to kill history,” Ndukuba said, lamenting that secondary school students and young Nigerians were no longer being given adequate opportunities to study history.
Ndukuba described Awolowo as a man who “lived for others”, using his life and legacy to illustrate the importance of selflessness, sacrifice and service to humanity.
He urged leaders and Nigerians to learn from such examples and build lives that would leave positive legacies for future generations.
The Primate said the lessons from the past should challenge contemporary leaders and citizens to move away from selfishness and embrace service to others.
He added that the impact of a person’s life should remain beneficial to society even after the person is gone.
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