Job pressure forcing children to grow without home training, discipline — Prof Etta

A University of Cross River State genetics and biotechnology professor has warned that the relentless pursuit of career advancement and financial prosperity is leading to a lack of proper child upbringing and diminishing family values in Nigeria. At the university's 12th Inaugural Lecture, Prof. Hannah Edim Etta discussed the "Links, Linkages and Missing Links" between DNA and social cohesion, highlighting how the pressure to succeed has left many parents neglecting their children's needs.

She argued that parents are increasingly relying on schools, social media, and other caregivers to provide guidance, discipline, and emotional support to their children. Etta emphasized that the modern race for promotions, multiple jobs, and financial security has created "missing links" in Nigerian households, where the family, traditionally the first school for children, is now absent.

She expressed concern over the growing incidence of juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, and mental health issues among young people, attributing these problems to the absence of parental guidance. Etta urged for urgent action to balance career demands with family responsibilities, including government policies promoting work-life balance and flexible working hours, as well as greater emphasis from religious and community leaders on family cohesion and responsible parenting.

"No career achievement can compensate for a broken home," she stated, emphasizing the need to address these "missing links" before the damage becomes irreversible.