International President of the Centre for Defence of Morality (CDM), Nkem Chima, has stressed the need for girls to keep out of sex till they get married.
Chima said this as the non-governmental organisation mobilises some mobilised 2,000 teenagers and youths on a purity vow, aiming to redefine Feb.14 as Chastity Day.
Speaking at the parade on Monday in Lagos he said the annual chastity parade had had a positive impact on youths globally.
Chima said the yearly programme had been tremendously successful among teenagers and youths on all fronts.
“We have surpassed our expectations and we are indeed very grateful that we have come this far over 14 years of our existence.
“There’s a remarkable difference because we have moved the annual programme from the National Theater to the University of Lagos, and our intention is to make sure that we universalise the message among the youth.
“Our message is that girls should keep their body bodies till wedding night and we make certain that we get to the age bracket that needs it most.
“They have the capacity to transmit the information very fast. On social media, using several networks and then we can use the foothold at the University of Lagos to reach other universities within the country,” he said.
He suggested holding World Chastity Day at universities like University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Nigeria, University of Abuja, and others nationwide.
He said that it would be a dream come true, especially since the programme is already held in Abidjan and Ebonyi.
“So, people are coming together for such an event because they love it.
“At the marriage level, we have seen previous alumni that the programme has helped and who have testimonies from their husbands and some from their wives.
“Also, some are joint testifiers, that keeping to the vow has helped them build a credible past, in order to walk into a credible future.”
Uche John, Chastity Day Programme Coordinator, said the 2026 event drew many teens looking for an alternative to the usual Valentine’s Day hype.
John said CDM was building chastity clubs in different schools to further enlighten students about the initiative.
Favour Ufere, one of the participants, thanked the organisers for the yearly exposure and enlightenment on abstinence.
She said the annual programme would help youths focus on their future plans instead of getting caught up in relationships that will ruin their future.
“The decision and the vow has helped me a lot in my career, having made the vow since 2016.It really helped me academically, emotionally and socially,” she said.
