Mrs. Chioma Fanawopo Hails From The South Eastern Part Of Nigeria. She Relocated To Be With Her Family In The United Kingdom. An Award Winning Parent And Teen Coach, She Told Flora Onwudiwe That She Has Spent More Than 20 Years Supporting Families In Navigating The Often Complex Journey Of Raising Children. She Also Spoke About Other Issues. Excerpts:
The name Chioma shows that you are from the South Eastern part of Nigeria; you relocated to the United Kingdom at a tender age. You did not change your name as some people do; could you share with us why you still bear the name?
Yes, I am proudly Igbo, originally from Anambra State in South Eastern Nige-ria. I relocated to the United Kingdom at the age of 19 to join my family. At one point, I did consider changing my name, as many do after moving abroad, but I came to realise that my name, Chi-oma, is deeply rooted in my identity. It reflects not only my heritage but also the val-ues and culture that shaped me. For the past 25 years in the UK, I’ve chosen to retain it for that very reason.
Is it applicable to your children too?
My children are Brit-ish-Nigerian and bear their Nigerian surname, Fanawo-po, which is Yoruba, reflect-ing their father’s heritage. I was born in Nigeria as the eldest of six children, and my parents, quite intentionally, didn’t give English names to me or to my sister who fol-lows me. That decision, in it-self, was a quiet affirmation of cultural pride.
Professionally, I’ve worked across various sec-tors including education, international development, and engineering. Through it all, I’ve carried my Nigerian identity with pride, and my name has always been a part of that story.
Why do you focus on youth clubs?
As a youth minister with a degree in youth work, I’ve always been passionate about creating opportunities for young people to thrive. I used to run a youth club, and although many of them have unfortunately closed across the UK, their value cannot be overstated. Youth clubs of-fered safe, welcoming spaces where young people could socialise, grow, and feel a sense of belonging. Through our informal education cur-riculum, we focused on de-veloping life and social skills, building confidence, and helping young people make positive choices. More than that, youth clubs believed in them, often when no one else did. For many, these clubs provided vital structure after school and in the evenings, helping to steer them away from negative influences.
In addition to my work in local youth settings, I also headed the youth depart-ment of an international de-velopment charity. That role gave me the opportunity to take the principles of youth empowerment to a global stage, championing young people as agents of change in their own communities. Despite the challenges, many youth clubs continue to be run by local councils and charitable organisations. Their work remains essential in nurturing the potential of our young people.
The influence of social media on the children and teens has negative impacts on development, what solutions can you offer as an experienced youth minister?
As an award-winning parent, teen coach, and a mother to a 20-year-old, I’ve spent the past two decades supporting fami-lies in navigating the often complex journey of raising children—particularly in today’s digital age. Social media, while offering certain benefits, can have significant negative impacts on the de-velopment of children and teens—from self-esteem is-sues and anxiety to exposure to inappropriate content and unhealthy comparisons. As a seasoned youth minister and coach, my approach is centred on building connec-tion, confidence, and being intentional in how we raise our children. They are only little once, and those ear-ly foundations shape who they become. It’s more im-portant than ever for parents to be present, to understand the digital landscape, and to guide their children through it with empathy and clarity.
I also convene the an-nual Purposeful Parenting in the Digital Age Summit, with the next event taking place on une 14. This summit is designed to equip parents with practical tools and in-sights for raising children in today’s world—particular-ly when navigating cultural differences, which many of us face as parents raising children in environments different from the ones we grew up in. There’s no man-ual for parenting, especially during the teenage years, but with the right support, we can raise emotionally resilient, grounded, and confi-dent young people.
How do you empower par-ents in this digital age and still help them to overcome modern challenges ?
As a certified and award-winning family ex-pert, I empower parents by helping them build strong, healthy relationships with their children—especially in this fast-changing digi-tal age. With over 20 years of lived and professional experience working with families, I understand just how challenging parenting can be, particularly during the teenage years.
I support parents through personalised coaching, offering practical tools and guidance to help them understand how child and adolescent develop-ment works. When parents understand what’s going on emotionally, mentally, and socially with their children, they feel more confident and better equipped to han-dle challenges—whether it’s screen time, peer pres-sure, or communication breakdowns.My goal is to help parents feel less over-whelmed and more con-nected to their children, so they can raise confident, respectful, and emotional-ly resilient young people. You don’t have to do it alone—support is here, and it works.
Can you share with us an insight into its danger if it is not properly handled now?
Absolutely. In my experience working with families over the past 20 years, I’ve seen first-hand the very real dangers that come with the digital age—especial-ly when social media use isn’t properly managed or understood by parents. One of the most serious concerns is how easily chil-dren and teenagers can be groomed online or lured into dangerous lifestyles, including knife crime or gang involvement. The in-ternet has made it far easier for predators and criminals to reach vulnerable young people without parents even knowing. I’ve also supported families dealing with the painful impact of cyberbullying, which can severely damage a child’s self-esteem and emotion-al wellbeing. Some young people begin to doubt them-selves, feel isolated, or even develop eating disorders in response to the unrealistic standards and toxic com-parisons online.
Social media is a pow-erful tool, but when used without guidance or bound-aries, it can expose children to extreme peer pressure and harmful behaviours. That’s why I place so much importance on instilling confidence, building con-nection, and intentional parenting. Parents need to be present, involved, and informed.
By supporting parents to understand how the digital world impacts their children, we can help them protect and guide their teens before issues spiral out of control.
You have a mission to sup-port 100 families in 2025; what are the practical steps to adopt to realise this dream?
Yes, I have a set, clear mis-sion to support 100 families in 2025, and I believe it is not only achievable but essen-tial. Parenting in today’s dig-ital age comes with unique challenges, and my goal is to walk alongside families, giv-ing them the tools they need to raise confident, connect-ed, and emotionally healthy children. To realise this dream, I’m taking practical, intentional steps through a range of platforms: Webinars and online masterclasses that make support accessible from anywhere, parenting summits, including my own Purposeful Parenting in the Digital Age taking place this June, coaching and group programmes, tailored to real family life, parenting classes that focus on building con-fidence, setting boundaries, and navigating screen time and next month (July) I’m honoured to be speaking at TEDx Beckenham on Parent-ing as Leadership—a mes-sage I deeply believe in. I’m passionate about equipping, educating, and empowering parents because of my own lived experience. When I was raising my children, I of-ten wished I had someone to guide and support me. That longing planted the seed for what I now do—creating the very support I once needed. As C.S. Lewis so rightly said, “Children are not a distrac-tion from more important work. They are the most im-portant work.” I believe par-enting is leadership. When we raise children with inten-tion and connection, we not only shape their futures—we change the world. Together, we can raise a generation that thrives.
How are you connected to the United Nations UK CSW delegate?
I had the honour of serv-ing as a delegate to the Unit-ed Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from the UK last year. It was an incredibly enriching experience that deepened my commitment to gender equality and global advo-cacy for women and girls. Being part of that delega-tion allowed me to engage in high-level discussions around policy, equity, and empowerment alongside changemakers from around the world.
Any awards to show for your experience and achievements in this regard?
Yes, I’ve been recognised for my work with families and children, and was proud to receive an award for my contributions in this space. I’ve also been featured in Forbes and several other notable publications for my work around parenting, youth development, and women’s empowerment. Additionally, I’m excited to be a TEDx speaker, and I’ll be speaking on July 5 on the topic Parenting as Leader-ship, which reflects both my professional mission and personal passion.
International Women’s Day and gender equali-ty—as recognised by the United Nations—is a day many women look forward to. What are your major contributions to ease life for women in third world emerging nations?
While I’m not current-ly working directly with emerging nations, I absolute-ly plan to extend my work internationally in the near fu-ture. I am a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and am especially passion-ate about creating oppor-tunities for young girls—to help them access education, leadership development, and exposure to careers in underrepresented fields like STEM and engineering.
At the heart of every-thing I do is the belief that when you empower a wom-an, you uplift an entire com-munity. I look forward to expanding this mission glob-ally and working alongside organisations that share this vision. I am also the eldest of 4 sisters so female empower-ment is in my DNA!
