The Boyloaf Foundation has renewed calls for greater welfare of the boy child while promoting peace, tolerance, respect, and empathy among youths in the Niger Delta. The non-governmental organisation, in partnership with Miss Peace Organisation and the Bayelsa State Government, marked this year’s International Day of Peace with a colourful event themed “Little Hands, Big Dreams.”
The celebration brought together school children, youth organisations, and stakeholders who showcased talents in art, poetry, drama, Afro dance, music, catwalk for peace, and cultural displays. The initiative, according to organisers, is part of the foundation’s mission to advocate sustainable peace and discourage crime and violence in the region.
Delivering his keynote address, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Youth Development, Alfred Kemepado, praised the foundation’s impact, saying the programme would go a long way in strengthening peace in the Niger Delta. He also commended Victor-Ben Ebikabowei, popularly known as General Boyloaf, for his role in securing peace during the turbulent years of militancy. Kemepado revealed that the state government is set to unveil a comprehensive youth policy aimed at deepening youth participation in governance, decision-making, and community development.
Miss Peace Niger Delta, Ockiya Ayibanengimote, in her remarks, stressed the role of parents in nurturing values of empathy and tolerance in children. “If our children grow up learning to respect others and accept differences, then we are raising a generation that not only desires peace but will also protect it,” she said.
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The Director-General of the Bayelsa State Centre for Youth Development also applauded the Boyloaf Foundation for consistency in peace advocacy, noting that its vision aligns with Governor Douye Diri’s Prosperity Administration, which prioritises inclusion, dialogue, and youth empowerment as pillars of lasting peace.
Event Coordinator Seleipre Tonbie traced the foundation’s origin to the historic amnesty of August 6, 2009, when Boyloaf led 31 commanders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to Abuja to sign the peace deal with the Federal Government. He recalled Boyloaf’s famous words at the time: “If the government refuses to develop the region and continues in marginalisation, the youths coming after us will be more brutal than us.”
Tonbie explained that the Boyloaf Foundation and its Boy Child Project were born from that defining moment, aimed at steering future generations away from violence. He noted that Boyloaf’s decision to embrace peace not only influenced government policy but also inspired popular culture, being immortalised in Barrister Smooth’s Amnesty and Burna Boy’s Monsters You Made featuring Chris Martin.
The event also featured a dance drama by PGR Entertainment Theatre and the Orupabo cultural display, which told stories of hope and unity through performance. Finnie Couture added elegance to the programme with a symbolic catwalk for peace.
Stakeholders, youth leaders, and guests including Dr. Joan Filatei of the Children Development Foundation, Events by Ozee CEO Z. Okoya Ogoniba, Moses Marlon, and Aze Dickson were present at the gathering, which ended with renewed calls for restructuring of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to allow more beneficiaries access to scholarships and empowerment opportunities.
The Boyloaf Foundation emphasised that peace, tolerance, and the welfare of the boy child remain at the core of its advocacy, urging Niger Delta youths to pursue education, skills, and opportunities rather than violence.
