Reality Stars Adekunle Olopade & Lolu Shomuyiwa Launch Powerful 'Protect The Boy Child Initiative'!
BBNaija alumni Adekunle Olopade and Omololu “Lolu” Shomuyiwa are spearheading a national advocacy effort for Nigerian boys through the Protect The Boy Child Initiative (PTBCI). This includes the launch of their “2026: The Year of The Man” campaign and the new documentary “Close The Gap,” aiming to address critical challenges faced by young men. Lolu’s appointment as Country Head strengthens PTBCI’s mission to provide structured support and mentorship.
Big Brother Naija alumni Adekunle Olopade and Omololu “Lolu” Shomuyiwa are leveraging their reality television visibility to spearhead a national advocacy movement aimed at supporting boys and young men in Nigeria. Adekunle Olopade, who founded the Protect The Boy Child Initiative (PTBCI), has officially appointed Lolu as the organization's new Country Head. This significant announcement coincides with the premiere of their upcoming documentary, “Close The Gap,” which marks the inaugural major project under PTBCI’s landmark “2026: The Year of The Man” campaign.
PTBCI is a Lagos-registered non-governmental organization dedicated to the holistic development of boys and young men across Nigeria. Through structured mentorship, targeted advocacy, and direct intervention, the initiative works to ensure that young men are actively included in crucial national conversations surrounding gender, development, and social progress. Adekunle started the initiative to address a pressing and long-overlooked question within Nigerian society: “Who is raising our boys?”
The reality in Nigeria reveals that many boys face severe and often unaddressed challenges, including alarming rising school dropout rates, widespread substance abuse, the pervasive threat of cultism, and a largely overlooked mental health crisis. Despite these profound pressures, young men are frequently excluded from broader support conversations and initiatives. PTBCI firmly believes that dedicated support for boys does not detract from the advancement of women and girls; rather, it is an essential component for building healthier, safer, and more equitable communities for everyone.
Reflecting on the critical urgency of their mission, Adekunle shared, “Nigeria has left a dangerous question unanswered: who is raising our boys? From out-of-school rates to drug abuse, cultism, and a silent mental health crisis, our boys are falling through the cracks while remaining invisible in the national conversation. PTBCI exists to change that, and The Year of The Man is us changing it at scale.”
Omololu Shomuyiwa, who is based in the United States, steps into his new role as Country Head to oversee PTBCI’s global operations and foster strategic partnerships. He brings an invaluable international perspective and a strong conviction that young Nigerian men deserve deliberate, structured investment in their well-being and future. Speaking on his appointment, Omololu noted, “For too long, society has assumed boys are born resilient, leaving them to navigate isolation, trauma, and ambition entirely on their own. We aren’t just offering a lifeline. We want to rewrite the script of what modern manhood looks like. True influence isn’t measured by the noise of an audience, but by the quiet transformation of a single life. The future of our communities depends on the boys we refuse to leave behind.”
The new documentary, “Close The Gap,” takes an in-depth look at the widening divide between Nigerian boys and the support systems currently available to them. Its premiere is set to kick off a year-round campaign that will feature targeted mentorship programs and grassroots initiatives specifically aimed at transforming lives one step at a time, reinforcing PTBCI’s commitment to tangible, lasting impact.