Influences Shaping the Nigerian Child

Every child is a product of influence. In Nigeria, children grow up at the intersection of tradition, religion, modern technology, and social pressure. Understanding what shapes them is the first step toward raising responsible, confident, and value-driven individuals.

Below are ten powerful influences shaping the Nigerian child today.

1. Family and Parenting

The family is a child’s first school. Parents and guardians teach values intentionally or unintentionally through their words, actions, discipline, and priorities. A stable home builds confidence, while neglect or inconsistency can leave lasting gaps.

In a small town in Osun State, two boys: Sola and Kunle grew up on the same street.

Sola’s mother sold akara every morning. Before dawn, she woke Sola to pray with her, reminded him to greet elders properly, and insisted he returned home straight after school. When she made mistakes, she corrected herself aloud, teaching Sola responsibility. Though they were not rich, Sola grew confident, respectful, and focused.

Kunle’s home was different. His father was rarely around, and his mother often quarreled loudly with neighbors. No one checked Kunle’s homework or questioned where he spent his evenings. Some days he ate well; other days, no one noticed he hadn’t eaten at all.

Years later, Sola became a teacher in the same town, guiding children with patience. Kunle struggled from job to job, unsure of himself and easily influenced by others.

People said they attended the same school, but everyone knew the truth: their first lessons were taught at home.

2. Religion and Faith Communities

Religion plays a major role in Nigeria. Churches and mosques help shape morals, discipline, respect, and purpose. For many children, faith provides a moral compass in a confusing world.

In Aba, there lived a young girl named Ifunanya. Every Sunday morning, her mother dressed her neatly and walked her to church, no matter how busy the week had been. At home, her parents prayed together, forgave each other openly, and reminded their children that character mattered more than money.

When Ifunanya lied about breaking a neighbor’s window, her father sat her down, read from the Bible about truth, and made her apologize and help pay for the damage. It was painful, but it stayed with her.

In secondary school, when friends pressured her to cheat in an exam, Ifunanya remembered her church lessons about integrity and chose to fail honestly rather than pass dishonestly. Though she repeated the class, her confidence grew.

Years later, as a nurse in Lagos, patients trusted her because she was known to be honest and compassionate. When asked how she stayed grounded in a difficult city, she simply said, “My faith taught me who I am.”

In a noisy and confusing world, Christianity had given her a clear moral compass.

3. Culture and Traditions

Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage teaches respect for elders, communal responsibility, and identity. However, as globalization grows, cultural values are increasingly challenged, making it important to intentionally preserve positive traditions.

In a village near Nsukka, an old man named Papa Okorie gathered the children under the mango tree every evening. He taught them how to greet elders properly, told folktales about honesty and courage, and reminded them that “a child belongs to everyone in the community.”

Chinedu, his grandson, often complained. At school and on his phone, he saw foreign cartoons and slang that mocked tradition. He stopped kneeling to greet elders and preferred staying indoors with his tablet.

One market day, Chinedu rudely pushed past an elderly woman. The villagers corrected him, and Papa Okorie later explained how respect kept the community united. He made Chinedu accompany him to help the woman carry her goods home.

Years later, when Chinedu moved to Abuja for work, his manners set him apart. Elders supported him, neighbors trusted him, and he found a sense of belonging even far from home.

Though the world around him had changed, the values his culture gave him remained steady, proof that traditions, when intentionally preserved, still shape strong identities.

4. Peer Pressure

Friends have a strong influence, especially during adolescence. Peers can encourage good habits, or push children toward risky behaviors, depending on the circle they keep.

In the quiet town of Otuoke, where the evenings smelled of roasted corn and the sound of generators hummed like crickets, fourteen-year-old Tunde had just entered secondary school. His mother always reminded him, “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.” Tunde would nod, not fully understanding the weight of her words.

After school each day, students gathered under a large mango tree beside the football field. That was where friendships were formed. Tunde soon found himself torn between two groups.

The first group was led by Sadiq, a calm and respectful boy who always finished his homework before joining others to play football. They talked about becoming engineers, doctors, and even politicians who would change Nigeria for the better. Sometimes, they stayed back after school for extra lessons or helped younger pupils with their work.

The other group was led by Boma, popular and loud. He had stories that made everyone laugh, but his jokes often ended in trouble. They skipped classes, mocked teachers, and dared each other to steal mangoes from people’s compounds or smoke behind abandoned buildings. They called it “being sharp.”

At first, Tunde liked Boma’s group because they made him feel bold and grown. One afternoon, they convinced him to skip prep class. “Nothing will happen,” Boma said. But something did happen. Tunde failed his mathematics test for the first time, and his teacher called his parents.

That evening, his father didn’t shout. He simply said, “A river that forgets its source will dry up.” Tunde lay awake, thinking.

The next week, Sadiq invited Tunde to join their study group under the mango tree. It wasn’t as exciting, but slowly, things changed. His grades improved, and his teachers began to trust him again. When Boma was eventually suspended for fighting, Tunde understood the difference between noise and direction.

By the end of the term, Tunde stood proudly as one of the best students in his class. He still played football and laughed with friends, but he chose wisely who he listened to.

Under the mango tree, Tunde finally understood his mother’s words. Friends could either be a ladder or a pit. And the choice of which one to climb, or fall into—was always his.

9. Community and Neighborhood

The behavior of people around a child: neighbors, role models, and local leaders can either reinforce good values or normalize negative ones.

Shadows and Mirrors

In the dusty streets of Ibadan’s Bodija neighborhood, young Tunde watched everything. He watched the way Mr. Olumide, the tailor next door, greeted every customer with a smile and a handshake, always careful to keep his work neat and honest. He watched the boys down the street slip into the corner shop after hours, lifting cartons of juice and chips, laughing like it was nothing.

Tunde’s father was gone, and his mother worked long hours at the market. Most days, he felt like the world was a mirror with cracks—some pieces reflecting warmth and care, others showing mischief and deceit.

One evening, Tunde wandered past the veranda of Chief Adebayo, the local leader who everyone said “kept the streets safe.” The chief sat on a worn chair, sipping stout, while young men around him counted money and whispered about schemes. Tunde remembered the church’s Sunday sermon: “Leaders set the tone.” But here, the tone was different.

“Little man, come sit,” one of the young men called. Tunde hesitated, then stepped closer. “You want easy money?” they asked. He remembered the coins in his mother’s worn purse and the empty pot of fufu on the kitchen table.

But then he looked across the street. Mr. Olumide was closing his shop, locking each door carefully. The old tailor’s life was simple, honest, and yet dignified. Tunde felt a tug in his chest. He remembered the words of his mother: “Do your best, even when no one is watching.”

The next day, Tunde found a way to help Mr. Olumide sweep the floor and fold fabric for customers. He earned a small tip, but more importantly, he felt the pride of doing something right. Word spread in the neighborhood. Some boys sneered, but others started following his example.

Years later, Tunde became a teacher in Bodija. He told the children: “Every day, we are shaped by what we see around us. Neighbors, role models, leaders—they are like shadows and mirrors. You can follow the shadow of the wrong path, or mirror the light you wish to become.”

In that neighborhood, the shadows of bad behavior never disappeared, but Tunde had learned that the mirrors, the people who acted with honesty and care were powerful enough to reflect hope. And sometimes, that reflection was all a child needed to grow into something better.

10. Government and Society

Leadership, corruption, law enforcement, and social justice issues shape how children view honesty, fairness, and responsibility. Children learn from what society rewards or ignores.

In a busy neighborhood in Lagos, children loved to play around the bustling market, where the aroma of jollof rice and suya mixed with the sound of traders calling out their prices. But the neighborhood had its problems. People often cut corners, and rules were ignored if you knew the right people.

Ten-year-old Ada kept a small notebook where she wrote everything she saw. One afternoon, she noticed Uncle Chike, a popular trader, secretly taking extra money from the daily market collection. The local neighborhood watchmen, who were supposed to make sure everyone played fair, looked the other way.

“Why doesn’t anyone stop him?” Ada asked her friend Emeka.

“They think it’s normal,” Emeka shrugged. “If you have influence, you can do anything.”

Ada felt uneasy. That night, she dreamt of a market where honesty was valued and cheaters had to make things right. When she woke, she had a plan.

She called her friends together. “Let’s start our own little fair market,” she said. “Everyone who trades honestly gets a star. Anyone who cheats has to help clean the streets or fix broken stalls.”

The children set up their small market in the corner of Lagos Lane. Soon, everyone wanted to play the “honesty game.” Traders started being more careful, and even the neighborhood watchmen began paying attention. Some adults, embarrassed by their earlier dishonesty, joined in and tried to do better.

By the end of the month, Lagos Lane was brighter, cleaner, and happier. Ada wrote in her notebook:

“When adults ignore dishonesty, it spreads. But when even the smallest voices choose fairness, the whole community shines.”

The children realized that leadership, responsibility, and justice weren’t just adult concerns, they were lessons they could live every day.

The Way Forward

Raising a Nigerian child today requires intentional effort. Children are constantly learning from what they see, hear, and experience daily. If parents and caregivers do not guide them, society will.

The goal is not to isolate children from the world, but to equip them with strong values, critical thinking, and moral clarity so they can navigate it wisely.

A child shaped by purpose, discipline, and guidance will grow into an adult who shapes the nation.