boys to MEN Foundation to spotlight men’s wellbeing at Lagos conference
Abdullateef Fowewe
The boys to MEN Foundation will host a conference featuring theatre and panel discussions on November 19, 2026, to examine the pressures facing men and boys and encourage conversations about their wellbeing.
The event, scheduled for Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, will mark International Men’s Day under the theme, “Two Sides of the Same Human Coin — #MalesMatterToo.”
According to the foundation, the conference will explore expectations around financial provision, achievement, responsibility and emotional restraint, alongside their implications for family life and relationships.
A central feature will be A Man’s World, an original theatrical production with monologues adapted in part from About Men: Random Poems, Monologues and Reflections, a book by the foundation’s founder and executive vice chairman, Ifeoma I. Idigbe.
The production will examine experiences including sexual abuse of men and boys, financial pressure, emotional suppression and unresolved trauma.
Speaking ahead of the event, Idigbe said supporting men and boys should be understood as part of a wider effort to build healthier families and communities, rather than as competition with women’s advancement.
“We cannot build healthy families and communities by listening to only one side of the human experience. Men and boys matter, too.
“It is an invitation to recognise that men also experience pain, pressure, vulnerability and circumstances that deserve attention,” she said.
Idigbe said the choice of theatre was intended to make difficult experiences more accessible to audiences and provide a starting point for discussion.
“We have chosen theatre because sometimes people need to see and feel a story before they can fully appreciate what it means.
“Through the monologues, we want audiences to encounter experiences that many men may never have found the words or courage to share,” she added.
The performance will be followed by a panel titled “The Conversation After the Play.”
Invited panellists will discuss the issues raised on stage and consider how families, workplaces, communities and public institutions can better support men and boys.
A second panel, held under the foundation’s Talking Boys Parenting Series, will examine digital role models, the manosphere, masculism and masculinism.
The discussion will consider why boys are attracted to certain online personalities and communities, how parents can identify potentially harmful influences without alienating their children, and the responsibilities of schools, technology companies and policymakers.
Organisers said the session would distinguish between legitimate advocacy for men’s wellbeing and ideologies that promote hostility towards women or undermine healthy relationships.
International Men’s Day is observed annually on November 19 to recognise men’s positive contributions to families and communities, with the 2026 global theme announced as “The Future is Everyone.”
The Lagos conference is expected to bring together participants from corporate organisations, civil society, academia, the media and the wider public.
The foundation describes its work as supporting the development and wellbeing of boys and men through advocacy, education and engagement, with an emphasis on responsible manhood, emotional awareness and healthier relationships.
“Ultimately, we want people to leave asking themselves what they can do as parents, partners, employers, friends and members of society to help boys and men live healthier, more responsible and emotionally secure lives,” Idigbe said.
