Amid rising concerns about the absence of structured mentorship for young boys, Debra’s Palace Initiative (DPI) has partnered with Canon Central and North Africa through its Miraisha Programme to offer targeted skills training.
The collaboration, part of the second edition of DPI’s Creative Summer School, aims to guide the youth toward productive pathways and equip them with valuable creative skills.
No fewer than 25 boys benefited from a two-week intensive photography and digital creativity workshop; an initiative that underscores urgent need to engage young males before negative influences take hold.
Debra’s Palace Initiative Founder and Executive Director, Mrs. Damlola Chinedu, said the programme addresses a growing imbalance in gender-focused empowerment efforts.
“The world has rightly invested heavily in girls, and that progress is vital,” Chinedu said.
“But a generation of boys is being left behind. Many are uninformed, unmotivated, or pushed toward crime simply because nobody is paying attention.”
She highlighted that global statistics indicate millions of boys are out of school, while locally many young men fall prey to peer pressure, cult recruitment, online fraud, and street crime.
“When boys lack mentorship, society feels the impact, in our streets, homes, and communities,” she said. “But when boys are equipped with skills and responsibility, they become protectors, innovators, and contributors.”
During the exhibition and certification ceremony, Mr. Rashad Ghani, B2C Business Unit Director at Central and North Africa, emphasised the long-term social importance of providing such support.
“At Canon, we are committed to nurturing young talent across Africa by equipping them with the tools and support required to thrive in the booming creative industries.
“Our collaboration with Debra’s Palace Initiative reinforces our conviction that creativity serves as a catalyst for social transformation.
“Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire and uplift the storytellers and leaders of tomorrow.”
Ghani explained that Canon’s involvement is guided by its corporate philosophy of Kyosei, which promotes living and working together for the common good.
Since its inception, Debra’s Palace Initiative has mentored over 4,500 boys and plans to scale up to 10,000 by 2026 through a combination of creative training, school mentorship, scholarships, and life skills development.
During the programme, participants learned fundamental photography, storytelling, filmmaking, editing, sound production, and graphic design. Many had never handled a camera before yet produced professional-level work for the exhibition. Canon provided access to cameras such as the EOS R50, EOS R10, and EOS M50, and pledged ongoing support through equipment loans to help the boys continue practicing and building confidence.
Chinedu stressed that empowering the boy’s complements, rather than competes with, girl-child advocacy.
“A boy who is properly guided becomes a better brother, friend, partner, and future father,” she said. “We are building men who will strengthen families and society, not threaten them.”
As part of its long-term strategy, Debra’s Palace Initiative will launch a book titled “Made for More”, featuring the real-life journeys of 50 Nigerian men to inspire boys to embrace discipline and purposeful living.
Both organizations view the initiative as a call to action for policymakers, NGOs, and communities to prioritize boy-focused programmes.
“If we want a safer, stronger society tomorrow, we must start engaging the boy child today,” Chinedu said.
