FCT Scout Commissioner Pleads For Government Support To Save Scouting

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Scout Commissioner, Dr. Segun Adedayo Akintobi, has pleaded for government support to save scouting in Nigeria.

Akintobi, in an interview with LEADERSHIP during a thanksgiving service in Abuja at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, lamented that the lack of funding was threatening the future of scouting in the country.

He described scouting as “a movement that has been a cornerstone of youth development for decades.”

Akintobi, a lifelong scout who joined the Movement in 1964, recalled the glorious days when scouts were a ubiquitous presence at public events, maintaining order and discipline.

He attributed the decline to the withdrawal of government support following the organisation’s name change from Boy Scouts to Scout Association.

“We need sponsors to fund our activities, especially in schools,” he pleaded.

Akintobi emphasised that scouting is a vital tool for youth development, teaching valuable skills such as self-development, property protection, and community service.

Akintobi stressed that without government backing, the organisation’s ability to deliver these programmes will be severely hampered.

He cited his own experience of receiving government support to attend the Tokyo Jamboree as a teenager, which changed his life.

Akintobi urged the Ministry of Youth Development and other agencies to revive financial and logistical support, particularly for major events like national and international jamborees.

“Our training is civil, not military. We teach values, not violence,” he added.