Falana made the remarks while speaking as a special guest at the maiden edition of the Dare2Debate competition, an educational initiative aimed at grooming secondary school students for leadership through structured debates and intellectual engagement. The event, held in Lagos, brought together students, educators, and public commentators to deliberate on topical national and global issues.
Addressing participants and guests, Falana aligned himself with growing international conversations around child protection in the digital age. He noted that several countries were already taking concrete steps to limit young people’s exposure to social media, citing Australia’s recent decision to bar children under 16 from accessing such platforms.
According to him, Nigeria is unlikely to be insulated from these global policy shifts. He argued that regulation, in one form or another, is inevitable and necessary to protect children’s mental health and overall well-being in an era where online interactions increasingly shape values and behaviour. In his view, Nigeria’s historical and structural ties to Western nations mean that policy directions adopted in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom often find their way into local governance frameworks.
Beyond digital regulation, Falana also weighed in on the often-repeated argument that poverty is the primary driver of crime in Nigeria. While rejecting the notion that Nigerians are inherently criminal, he acknowledged that widespread poverty, unemployment, and underemployment have contributed to pushing some citizens toward criminal activity.
He compared Nigeria’s crime rate with that of other countries, insisting that the narrative of Nigerians being overly criminal is misleading. However, he criticised successive governments for failing to address economic hardship, noting that limited opportunities at home often force Nigerians to accept menial or low-status jobs abroad—jobs they would ordinarily reject within the country.
Falana further attributed this contradiction to what he described as a distorted educational system. He observed that many Nigerian artisans lack adequate training, creating gaps that are increasingly filled by skilled workers from neighbouring West African countries and even Asia. According to him, occupations such as plumbing, tiling, and other technical trades are now dominated by foreigners because Nigerians tend to view such work as beneath their dignity.
He also faulted the lack of transparency and accountability in employment data, contrasting Nigeria with countries where unemployment figures are published regularly to guide government action. In his assessment, the prevailing idea that job creation is not the government’s responsibility is deeply flawed, especially given that many older generations benefitted from direct state employment without the rigorous application processes now faced by young people.
The Dare2Debate initiative itself was highlighted as a response to some of these systemic challenges. Speaking at the event, lead organiser Davies Ikpoyi explained that the programme was designed to help young Nigerians develop confidence, critical thinking skills, and effective communication through structured conversations and debates.
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| L-R: The lead organiser of Dare2Debate by HACmedia, Davies Ikpoyi, with Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, a special guest speaker at the maiden edition of Dare2Debate in Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025. | Credit: HACmedia. |
According to Ikpoyi, the competition goes beyond rivalry, focusing instead on intellectual growth and the ability to engage constructively with ideas. He described debates as contests of knowledge, reasoning, and expression rather than displays of dominance, adding that the long-term goal is to nurture informed and articulate citizens.
Three Lagos-based schools—C.M.S. Grammar School, Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School, and Arester Divine School—participated in the competition. Following preliminary rounds assessed by a panel of judges led by Oludolapo Adewole, C.M.S. Grammar School and Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School advanced to the final stage.
At the conclusion of the event, organised by HACmedia, C.M.S. Grammar School emerged as the overall winner, clinching a cash prize of ₦300,000. Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School placed second with ₦200,000, while Arester Divine School received ₦100,000 for finishing third.
Organisers expressed optimism that the initiative would expand in scope and impact, contributing to the development of a new generation of thoughtful, confident, and socially aware Nigerian leaders.