By Nsan Ndoma-Neji
An academic don and Professor of Genetics and Biotechnology at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) Prof. Hannah Edim Etta has cautioned parents, particularly those in the academics, over what she described as “career madness” in Nigeria, warning that it has created dangerous gaps in child upbringing, destroying family values.
Speaking at the the 12th Inaugural lecture which took place at the Department of Mass Communications Auditorium , UNICROSS on Thursday August 27, 2026, the academic don stated that the frantic pursuit of promotions, multiple jobs, and financial success has left many parents absent from their homes.
Speaking on the theme: “Links, Linkages and Missing Links: From DNA Backbone To Social Cohesion” she noted that the pressure to “make it” professionally has pushed many parents to neglect their primary duty at home
The result, she said, is a generation of children growing up with little guidance, discipline, or emotional support.
She lamented that children are now growing up without guidance, discipline, and emotional support, stressing that the modern rush for promotions, side hustles and financial security has created “missing links” in Nigerian households.
“We are in a race where everyone is chasing titles and money, but losing their homes in the process,” Prof. Etta said. “The family is the first school of the child. When parents are not there, we create a vacuum that the streets and social media will fill.”
She averred that the pressure to ‘make it’ has created dangerous missing links in Nigerian households. Fathers and mothers now hand over parenting to caregivers, schools, and the internet, while they focus on career advancement.
According to her, the fallout is already visible in rising cases of juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, and mental health problems among young people. Many parents, she added, only notice the damage when it becomes too late to correct.
Prof. Etta called for urgent action to restore balance between work and family life. She urged government to introduce policies that support work-life balance, such as flexible hours and parental leave. She also challenged religious and community leaders to preach family cohesion over material pursuit.
“No career achievement can compensate for a broken home,” she warned. “We must bring the missing links together now before the damage becomes irreversible.”
Her remarks come as sociologists and educators express growing concern over how economic pressure is reshaping Nigerian families. While ambition remains important, experts agree it should not come at the expense of the home front.
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