Contact: Don Feder, Communications Director, World Congress of Families, 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com; The Howard Center for Family, Religion, & Society, 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org, media@profam.org

LAGOS, Nigeria, Oct. 20, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs will be a featured speaker at an international education conference on October 22-24 in Lagos, Nigeria titled "The School, the Family, the Student -- A Harmonious Triad for Successful Educational Achievement and Nation Building."  The conference will be held at the Pan African University organized by the Quality Assurance and Research Development Agency (QAARDAN) in collaboration with Harambee and the Lagos Business School.  The event is also a World Congress of Families Regional Event.

Jacobs will speak twice, on "Children's Rights vs. Children's Needs" and "Alive To The World: A Complete K-12 Curriculum for Values, Democracy and Healthy Sexuality," developed by Christine Vollmer and the Latin American Alliance for the Family, a WCF Partner.

Other international speakers will include Sharon Slater, President of Family Watch International, a WCF Partner (on "Teaching Sexuality In Secondary Schools"), Catherine Woods,  Founder of Relationships Under Construction, who also serves on the Steering Committee of the Ohio Adolescent Health Association (on "A Tried And True Character Education Curriculum"), Ejiro Ughwujabo, Head Teacher of St Mary's Catholic High School in Croydon, U.K. (on "Strategies for Making Nigerian Secondary Schools Truly Global") and Gyorgy Ciraki,, a human rights lawyer with the Hungarian Ministry of Resources, Secretariat for Social, Youth and Family Affairs (on "Behavior Modifications").

Nigerian speakers will include The Lagos State Commissioner for Education Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Ms. Theresa Okafor, World Congress of Families Representative for Africa; Professor Pat Utomi; Mr Eugene Ohu, Harambee, Africa; and Federal Minister of Education, the Hon. Ruqqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i.

Conference Director Theresa Okafor commented: "We live in a country where the value system has gone haywire with vices being passed off as virtues.  One of the seven deadly sins exposed by Mahatma Ghandi is education without character."

Okafor added: "It is time for the Nigerian educational system to sturdily emphasize character education. If the current students are to salvage the nation, they must be equipped with sound character formation. When character is lost, all is truly lost."

Jacobs observed: "We are honored that in Africa, thanks to Theresa's excellent work, World Congress of Families and our international network of pro-family leaders from more than 80 countries are recognized as an important educational resource for government officials, business executives, academic leaders, teachers and administrators.  Africa has much to teach the rest of the world about the importance of the natural family."

Theresa Okafor was also the organizer of the "World Dialogue of Civilizations" conference in Abuja, Nigeria (June 5-7, 2009) and the international law conference, "Challenges in Upholding the Rights of Women and Children in Nigeria," (July 24-15, 2011).  Both conferences were also World Congress of Families Regional Events.

For more information about WCF events in Africa, contact Don Feder, World Congress of Families Communications Director at 508-405-1337 or Theresa Okafor okafortessy@hotmail.com. 

Join us for  World Congress of Families VIII: "Happy Families, Healthy Economy" which will bring together thousands of global leaders, scholars and activists in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013, www.worldcongress.com.au.  To submit an abstract, research paper, speech or poster for WCF VII, click here or visit the call for papers at: wcfsydney2013.org.au/call-for-papers. 

For more information on World Congress of Families. To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337 or dfeder@rcn.com.