By ABDULKABIR MUHAMMED

The Amir Idris Durowoju-led Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Bariga Zone convened a youth conference at the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, on Tuesday, May 27, in commemoration of the annual Children's Day anniversary. The conference, themed "Our Youth Our Future", featured several academic and religious activities, including a debate, spelling bee, and quiz competitions.

The debate topic, "Should secondary school students be allowed to own personal mobile phones?" debated by finalists from Federal College of Technology (Akoka) and Evans Adelaja, aimed to proffer solutions to distraction issues permeating educational discussions in Nigeria. Beyond that, oral presentations such as Ewi, poems, and table tennis games were among the other amusement cum educational programmes of the conference. An interlude in the form of a playlet was staged by students of Skye-View College. The educational playlet focused on discerning a suitable career that is Islamically and internationally recognised.

The Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mr. Abdurasheed Surajudeen, in his welcome address, reiterated the significance of the Youth Conference in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4). Moreover, a panel session was held among selected students to discuss the topic, "Bullying in schools: Are we doing enough to stop it?" The panel session provided students with the opportunity to express their reasons for and experiences of bullying that they had encountered. Regarding the prevention of bullying in schools, panelists suggested that there should be public awareness about what constitutes bullying and how students can develop emotional intelligence.

During the conference lecture, Auditor Abdulmojeed Miftaudeen from Deloitte Nigeria, highlighted ways in which a Muslim student can remain enduringly relevant in "both worlds." Miftaudeen taught the students to "avoid peer pressure, distractions and low self-esteem in order to remain alive after death." As the largest youth conference in the area, the 2025 MSSN (Bariga) Youth Conference was attended by over 600 students from ten schools in the Bariga-Oworo-Gbagada axis.

Below is a summary of the winners in various categories:

Winners of the highly contested poetry competition included: Salau Al-Ameen (1st, Skye view), Yasir Abdulwasiu (2nd, Skye view), and Oladipo Amirah (3rd, Jagunmolu Girls). Meanwhile, the Junior category of the Essay contest (Waste to Wealth: How Nigerian youth can turn waste into opportunity) was won by Ishaq Aisha (1st, Skye-View), Olarenwaju Fatia (2nd, Gbagada Girls), and Ambally Fawzeeyah (3rd, Evans Adelaja Adelaja). The Senior Essay Contest (The Role of Skills in Professional Success) was won by: Olarenwaju Fareedah (1st, CMS Grammar School), Hazmat Faridah (2nd, CMS), and Oyewole Roheemah (3rd, Jagunmolu).

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