LoveWorld Raises Concerns Over Sexuality Education in Children’s Curriculum

Members of the LoveWorld Ministry of Information have raised concerns about the content of  Nigeria’s educational curriculum, particularly the teaching of sexuality education to children, alleging that LGBTQ-related issues are being introduced into schools through Comprehensive Sexuality Education and other materials they consider inappropriate for children.

They expressed concern over what they described as the increasing sexualisation of school curricula and the potential impact of sexuality-related content on children and young people, urging parents to take greater responsibility for their children’s education.

According to the group, LoveWorld is mobilising more than 400 child advocates globally to develop an alternative curriculum aimed at challenging what it considers harmful sexuality education content being introduced to children.

Speaking at a Global Town Hall Meeting organised by the LoveWorld Ministry of Information in Lagos recently, the speakers called for greater parental scrutiny of sexuality education and school materials.

The meeting, themed “Delivering and Protecting Children Globally from Satanic Curriculums & Agenda,” brought together legal practitioners, policy experts, child advocates and LoveWorld representatives to discuss comprehensive sexuality education, parental rights, curriculum development, international policies and digital content.

The town hall takes place against a broader international discussion about children’s exposure to sexual content both inside and outside the classroom.

In his submission, a Legal Adviser to the Center for African Policy Research and Advisory, Sonnie Ekwowusi, stated that some Nigerian secondary school materials contain lessons touching on homosexuality, lesbianism, masturbation, sterilisation and sexual orientation.

“Today, we have talked about the danger in teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Nigeria’s secondary schools. We have highlighted the fact that topics such as masturbation, sterilisation, breast enlargement, homosexuality and lesbianism are being taught to boys and girls in Nigerian schools,” Ekwowusi explained.

He further noted that the materials were being presented under the guise of sex education and urged parents to examine what their children were being taught.

“We are saying this is a taboo. Where is this coming from? And we have agents and people in Nigeria who are participating in it,” he maintained.

Ekwowusi also stated that some textbooks contained sexuality-related exercises and passages, including examples involving condoms, and maintained that parents should challenge materials they considered inappropriate.

“Parents should wake up, organise themselves and say that this should be stopped,” he urged.

He identified the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council as the body responsible for curriculum development and urged parents to raise concerns with the council.

The Executive Director of the Center for African Policy Research and Advisory, Dr Segun Adebayo, focused on what he described as the difficulty many parents face in monitoring their children’s education because of work and other responsibilities.

“You wake up in the morning as early as 6 or 7 am, you are rushing to work and coming back at 9 pm, and you do that throughout the three terms of your children. You don’t have time to look into their books,” Adebayo explained.

He argued that this leaves parents vulnerable to discovering too late what their children are learning at school.

“You would find out that somebody else is training your children. These people are not Nigerians. They are people who don’t believe what you believe. They don’t accept your values, and they rather want to change your values,” he warned.

Adebayo called for increased public awareness and greater parental involvement in education policy, while also advocating the proposed African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty as a possible framework for protecting what its proponents describe as African family values.

Executive Minister of Education, LoveWorld, Dr Afolabi Oketunji, said the organisation was developing its own curriculum and educational materials while working with teachers and parents.

“We have to redefine. They introduced it; we will introduce the right curriculum,” Oketunji declared.

He explained that LoveWorld intended to produce educational materials through its publishing ministry and develop what it described as a Christ-centred approach across different subjects.

Oketunji also placed particular emphasis on teachers, arguing that educators often teach according to the curriculum and materials provided to them.

“Part of what we’re doing is re-culturing the teachers and educators themselves. Give them the right curriculum and help them understand the curriculum itself,” he explained. He also announced plans to make parents more directly involved in the curriculum-awareness process.

“We’re going to let the parents know what is being taught to their children in school. We’re going to make it plain,” he added.

According to him, the organisation’s approach would extend beyond LoveWorld-owned schools to broader engagement with parents, educators and relevant institutions.

President of Family Watch International, Sharon Slater, also raised concerns about the promotion of sexual and reproductive health programmes, particularly where they involve comprehensive sexuality education and issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

She maintained that parents should have a central role in decisions concerning their children’s education.

“Parents are the first and most important educators of their children,” Slater stressed. Slater, whose organisation has consultative status with the United Nations, also questioned the influence of international development assistance and donor funding on education and health policies in African countries.

International law expert Greg Slater challenged the argument that international law requires countries to introduce comprehensive sexuality education in schools.

“There is no international legal right to Comprehensive Sexuality Education. There is also no international treaty that requires countries to introduce CSE into their schools,” he argued.

He also stressed the need for parents to know what their children encounter in school.

“Parents need to be vigilant. They need to ask questions, find out what is being taught in schools and examine the materials being used to teach their children,” he advised.

A member of the Governing Council of the African Bar Association, Richard Kakeeto, similarly distinguished between legally binding international treaties and policy documents or recommendations that he described as “soft law.”

“There is a difference between what is legally binding and what is simply a policy recommendation,” Kakeeto noted.

He argued that African countries should scrutinise policies affecting children and ensure that they are consistent with their constitutions, laws and international obligations.

Meanwhile, Executive Minister of Children’s Affairs, LoveWorld, Christine Okechukwu, said the organisation was developing a Global Parents Forum to strengthen parental involvement in issues affecting children.

“Parents are the first educators of their children,” Okechukwu emphasised. She also disclosed plans to train child advocates and produce music, animation, games and other content intended to provide children with what the organisation considers positive alternatives.

Okechukwu maintained that parents should not leave their children’s upbringing and education entirely to schools or other institutions.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Kiddies Media Ministry, Mrs Jessie Kalu, represented by Pastor Tayo Tubo, also warned that the debate over children’s education now extends beyond classrooms because of their exposure to digital platforms. Our children are consuming content every day, so we must intentionally give them the right content,” Tubo cautioned.

He highlighted LoveWorld’s children-focused digital materials, including videos, songs, stories and educational content, as part of the organisation’s response to what it considers harmful influences.

The speakers called on parents to become more deliberate about monitoring both the educational materials and digital content their children encounter, while LoveWorld pledged to expand its curriculum, teacher-training, publishing and child-focused initiatives.

The organisation also said it would continue engaging government institutions and other stakeholders as it pushes for greater parental participation in decisions concerning what Nigerian children are taught.

A matter like Sexuality education is a subject that has generated discussions across religious, educational, and public health communities.

International education frameworks, including those promoted by UNESCO and the World Health Organization, describe comprehensive sexuality education as covering topics such as puberty, relationships, bodily health, and personal safety.

For Christian parents and church communities, the question is not simply whether children should receive information about their bodies and relationships, but how that information should be presented, at what age, and within what moral and family framework.

The conversation is particularly important in a world where children encounter information from social media, entertainment, and the internet long before parents may be prepared to discuss certain subjects with them.

The Role of Parents and the Church

The Bible places an important responsibility on parents to guide their children in wisdom and truth.

Proverbs 22:6 says: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Christian parents are called to be intentional about what their children learn, the values they develop, and the influences they encounter.

This responsibility also calls for thoughtful engagement with schools and educational authorities. Parents should be able to ask questions about curriculum content, understand what is being taught, and participate in conversations about the wellbeing and development of their children.

The Church, meanwhile, has an opportunity to help families approach sensitive subjects with biblical conviction, compassion, and age-appropriate wisdom.

As LoveWorld’s concerns receive attention, the broader discussion about sexuality education in Nigeria will require careful consideration from parents, educators, religious leaders, and policymakers.

The welfare of children should remain central to the conversation. Any curriculum discussion should consider the child’s age, safety, dignity, educational needs, and the role of parents in guiding their development.

For Christian families, this is also an opportunity to reflect on how biblical values can be taught in ways that help children understand their identity, respect their bodies, and make wise decisions as they grow.