The president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has felicitated with fathers across the country to commemorate the 2025 father’s day on 15th June.

In a press statement signed by the president on Sunday evening, he described fathers as “first teachers, silent defenders and tireless nation builders”.

While he acknowledged the responsibilities of all the fathers, the president likened the roles the men play in the family to his duties as a ruler of the nation.

He said: “Today, we honour our first teachers, silent defenders, and tireless nation-builders…our fathers.

“To be a father is to carry the weight of responsibility with quiet strength. It is to sacrifice comfort so your children can dream, to model discipline, and to lead with love and firmness. These are the same values that hold a nation together.

“As a father and grandfather, I know that no title is more sacred. The home is the first institution of leadership, and our country is only as strong as the men who lead with integrity within their families.

“Thank you to all Nigerian fathers, biological and symbolic, home and abroad. Your everyday labours shape the character of our country and the future of our children.

Meanwhile, the felicitation from the president has sparked reactions as many citizens think it is insensitive of Tinubu and his government to be more concerned about wishing happy Father’s day while people in Benue State have been crying for help and Government’s intervention after gunmen attacked and killed not less than 200 people in two communities.

Read: Benue Attack: Police Scare Protesters With Teargas, Military Hovers Area as Death Toll Rises to 200

The attack started on Saturday when gunmen invade and set houses on fire, killed men, women, adults and children.

In the early hours of Sunday, remaining residents launched a protest after the government seemed to be silent about the repeated attack on their communities.