By BUSHRAH YUSUF-BADMUS

Fourteen-year-old Adejolaoluwa Osunbade of Roemichs International School, Ilorin, on Friday convened a lecture on impact of peer pressure among teenagers.

Ms Osunbade said the initiative was borne out of her desire to make the society a better place as building a society was the work of all.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was titled “The Impact of Pear Pressure Among Teenagers: The right circle, the right influence”.

“The reason behind it is that I noticed that a lot of teenagers are not independent about their decisions, they do a lot of things because their friends are doing them.

“And our society does not need leaders or people that will be easily influenced by other people’s decision.

“This programme will benefit students and other teenagers to know how to make decisions by themselves without being influenced by their friends or peers,” the SS2 student said.

Dr Ayotunde Omotosho, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), while speaking on the topic, said the lecture organised would have tremendous benefits because peer pressure has mental effects as it relates to young people.

“Research shows that young people generally are heavily influenced by what their peers do and say and it can be positive or negative.

“It is important to emphasise the effects of peer pressure because it can affect the mental health in a number of ways because young people can be influenced in terms of their perspectives, choices and the support hat is available to them.

“The lecture will have a ripple effect on the students present here because they will take what they have learnt here to their peers and step down the knowledge,” Omotosho said.

Then Chief Counsellor, University of Ilorin, Mrs Annor Patricia, advised parents to make friends with their children to curb the influence of peer pressure.

“Peer pressure influence can be tackled from home, parents should learn to relate with their children.

“Some parents just throw the children to the school, but if they listen to their children, they will know when something is wrong.

“Parents should make a move to understand their children, know their friends. If you did not let them have a feeling of detachment, they will tell you their mind,” she said.

She added that schools should also have counsellors to help their students intervene when they have peer pressure issues

“It is in the national policy of every school to have a counselor, so that the students will be able to reach the counselor and for the counsellors to be able to intervene in issues like this,” Annor said.

The Principal of the school, Mr Kevin Massey, said he was not surprised that one of the students off the school came up with the idea.

“I am not surprised that one of our students came up with this idea because this is one of the things we instill in them.

“But that does not take away from the initiative and the courage she had in coming up with such a thing,” Massey said.

The mother of the girl, Mrs Atinuke Osunbade, said she was happy her daughter’s dream was coming to pass.

“She reads a lot from when she was little, so when she came up with the idea that she wants to do an enlightenment programme on peer pressure, I thought she was joking.

“But she approached my mum (because I do not work here) that she wants to drop a letter at the government house, which she did and this is the result.

“I am very proud of her and I am happy that her dream is coming to reality,” Osunbade said.

NAN reports that representatives from GDSS Agbabiaka, GDSS Tanke, GDSS Fate, GDSS Gaa-Akanbi, Senior Secondary School Danialu, Premium High School, Royal Bolt College, Waziri Secondary School and Chaste Intellect International School attended the event. (NAN)