Hope Circle Foundation, an organisation poised with the mission of raising a generation of purposeful, empowered young Nigerians one community at a time, has successfully launched the maiden edition of the School2School Teens Summit – a youth-focused initiative designed to equip teenagers with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills required to navigate today’s digital world responsibly.
The School2School Teens Summit convened over 100 secondary school students at D’Cherub School, Ajah, to drive critical conversations around digital literacy, social responsibility, and future opportunities. Launched to combat the growing digital and social decay affecting teenagers, the initiative equips young people with positive guidance, practical education, and the critical insights needed to navigate life both online and offline.
Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, Hope Odabi, founder of Hope Circle Foundation, said: “We cannot leave the next generation to navigate the digital wilderness alone. School2School is a deliberate intervention designed to step directly into classrooms, shift the narrative for teenagers, and turn social media from a source of distraction into a powerful tool for economic and personal growth.”
According to data compiled in Clinical Psychology Review and reported via the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 17% of the world’s population suffers from social media addiction, with children and teenagers being at the highest risk. Regionally, the rates of social media addiction are highest in Africa (37%), followed by Asia (31%). A localised study on youth digital habits published in the Journal of Adolescent Health states that in urban centers like Lagos, 71% of youth reported feeling intense, constant pressure to present a “perfect life and image” on social platforms, which directly correlates with spiked cortisol and daily stress levels.
The summit delivered high-impact keynote sessions from industry experts Deji Onadeko, founder, Redlantan Media and Olawale Samuel, founder, Axia Africa, who equipped students with practical frameworks for personal growth and leadership. Beyond theory, the sessions instilled deep insights on discipline and purpose, empowering the teenagers to strategically navigate and seize economic opportunities in the digital age.
The summit reached its peak with the unveiling of Social Media Is A Whole Lot More: The Teen Guide to Building Your Future, a new book by Hope Odabi. The publication serves as an actionable roadmap, guiding adolescents through the nuances of digital identity, personal branding, and future readiness. To anchor these lessons for the long term, every student was gifted a complimentary copy, turning a one-day event into an ongoing journey of mentorship.
Adding to the excitement, award-winning artiste Spyro surprised the audience with an inspiring guest appearance. His message to the students was clear: pursue excellence, safeguard your focus, and possess the courage to make positive choices despite external societal pressures.
“What we have started in Lagos is the baseline for a broader, structured rollout across the country and the continent. Hope Circle Foundation is actively building an ecosystem of partnerships, educational resources, and mentorship frameworks designed to scale. Our goal is to democratize digital literacy and empower thousands of young people to safely and strategically navigate the global digital economy,” Odabi concluded.
