Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday vowed to take the lead in the care of orphans, children with special needs, the elders, the mentally challenged, and other vulnerable groups in the state to give hope and make life meaningful to them.

The Governor, who spoke at the launch of a Social Welfare Integrated Program Initiative (SWIPI) aimed at supporting orphanages, elderly care homes, and others in the areas of addressing their infrastructure, medical, education, nutrition, and training needs, said there is a lot to be done to care for the less privileged in the society and that his government would not give excuses.

He said he was particularly thrilled with the objectives of the SWIPI team in reaching out to the care homes in the state, adding that it was a clarion call on all to join hands with the government to make a positive difference.

“I am actually very thrilled listening to all of the very modest interventions and initiatives that SWIPI stands for and I must thank the initiator and the Grand Patron. There is a lot we can do for the children and vulnerable people out there; there is a lot that is expected of us.

“As a government, we are not going to give excuses and I will personally take the lead and see that we double up our interventions through Ministries of Youth and Social Development, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and other MDAs,” the Governor assured.

Narrating the experience on his way to the venue of the SWIPI launch where he stopped the convoy upon noticing two young girls roaming the street during school hours, the Governor gave the names of the girls as Chindinma Amarachi and Suwebat, 9 and 12 years respectively, vowing to take over the sponsorship of their education.

“Out there, there are several Amarachis and Suwebats who don’t have the opportunity to go to school. We all can make a difference if we choose to and this is why I am indeed happy with this SWIPI project because there is no better thing we can do to mankind than ensuring that we can make life better for our next-door neighbor,” the Governor said.

Speaking earlier after her investiture as the Grand Patron of SWIPI, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said she was fascinated by the objective of the organization which is principally aimed at helping to tremendously improve the quality and value of care to the less privileged in society.

According to her, “It is commendable that SWIPI is already intervening in delivering a training curriculum for registered caregivers, using world-class facilitators and the feedback has been improved knowledge and delivery of care by the caregivers in all the registered homes and orphanages in the state.

“The organization has also been strong in improving the quality of social welfare administration through the donation of critical equipment and facilities including digital tablets, computers, boreholes, water treatment plants, and toilet facilities, among others to ramp up the care of the vulnerable in the homes.”

She said it was with a deep sense of responsibility and call to service that she accepted the investiture in order to consolidate on the amazing objective to embed best practices in social welfare administration in the overall interest of the vulnerable, especially children, the elderly, and mentally challenged individuals.

The First Lady also called on others to support SWIPI by donating generously; just as she said that addressing the plight of the most vulnerable in society is a collective responsibility that falls on every global citizen.

“I believe that the social welfare system is one of the single most important sectors of society that can deliver a marked improvement in the standard of living of the most vulnerable in our society,” she said.

Besides, she called for deliberate policies and laws to ensure that registered orphanages and elderly care homes adhere to best practices, while efforts are put in place to address the issue of unregistered homes, with the view to ensuring that they are properly regulated.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of SWIPI, Dr. Kolawole Ajayi said the organization consists of 11 professionals from different walks of life who have an incredible love for children and are concerned about the social, economic, health, and welfare of vulnerable children, particularly those in orphanages.

He said SWIPI was concerned about children with some learning disorders abandoned in the orphanages and the less privileged adults in the elderly homes in the state, saying the focus of the project was to address the identified gaps in social welfare practice and administration.

At the event, digital tablets were presented to 14 registered elderly care homes to enhance their operations toward e-learning. They are Rock Garden Home for the Elderly, Jozel Care, Chrisgloria Nursing, Precious Jewels, Winiseph Care Home, Blue Gate Home Care-Healthcare, Centre for Happy Elderly People, Mariam Akintola Senior Citizens Care Home, Old People’s Rehabilitation Centre, The Cathedral Circle Initiative, Primecare Rehabilitation Resources Limited, Old People’s Home, Multibeniose Elderly and Motherly Care, and The Shepherd’s Heaven.

L-R: First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his wife/Grand Patron of the Social Welfare Integrated Program Initiative (SWIPI), Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; and SWIPI Chairman, Dr. Kolawole Ajayi, during the launch of SWIPI at Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

L-R: First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his wife/Grand Patron of the Social Welfare Integrated Program Initiative (SWIPI), Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, during the launch of SWIPI at Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

L-R: First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his wife/Grand Patron of the Social Welfare Integrated Program Initiative (SWIPI), Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, during the launch of SWIPI at Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity” – Peter Drucker.

Contesting in competitions is one activity I do not really fancy, not because I lack the capability, but past experiences have made me look away and just admire the process with its catching prizes rather than get involved.

The Princewills Trust 2021 Vision and Success Opportunity challenge with a prize of an all expense paid trip to Dubai came to me as one of those many competitions that had winners already before the competition even began. However, I got persuaded by a father figure who ensured that I entered the competition by completing the online registration, which I did, met the criteria and entered the challenge fully. Interestingly, the challenge was specially put out for Students from Rivers State.

The Challenge

We were sent emails on how to go about the challenge with so many rules and it seemed like a very tough one to go through. I literally had the feeling not to go further, but my earlier motivator will always show up. The idea was to write a pitch on an innovation, vision, or business idea I think can bring about development and advancement of our society.

Being a young chap, I had a whole lot of idea in my head, but I still needed that one unique innovation that would earn me the ticket. I had lot of talks with friends, because I wanted their remarks first before deciding to work on any of the ideas, I had up my sleeve. Finally, I decided to go personal, asked myself a few questions and tried to pick out a problem I had that needed a solution. I had to see myself as a human in the society that had a problem and needed a solution.

As a child, speaking in my indigenous language has been an issue for me, more like a burden because I felt so incomplete as an Ibani (a clan in the Ijaw tribe of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria) daughter. That gave me an innovative idea of the INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE TRANSLATION APP which could translate English Language to Ibani language and Ibani to English language and even aid easy learning and connect you to online tutors. I finally had to put pen to paper and had my pitch ready before the due date for submission.

Weeks later I received an email confirming me as one of the winners of the challenge. I could not contain my joy and excitement. This was my first time and I got in without getting someone to alter the process (Man-know-Man). We got announced on the media and social media platforms to mark the end of the challenge and a travel date of September. Preparations kicked off, and after a lot of travel challenges and rigorous procedures to go through and requirements to be met, we were finally scheduled to leave Nigeria on November 26, 2021.

The Trip

Leaving Nigeria to Dubai was super exciting for me, not because it was my first, but the reason for the trip was one filled with so many opportunities waiting for me at the other side of the world. I had the opportunity of meeting my co-winners – Soruchi, Samuel and Melford (best travel squad). We arrived in Dubai after a connecting flight from Nigeria to Kenya and then the U.A.E.

This was the most activity packed, yet fun trip I have been on and not a single bill on me. There is this thing with enjoying money that is not yours, but I never felt that way, not like I feel entitled, but this was too real to be true but funny enough, I was already living it.

Touring the U.A.E. with the mindset of meeting opportunities and discovering innovative ideas was a major mind shift for me. My brains were on fire and my body super hyper; knowledge exchange was in top gear. Like I earlier mentioned I had the best travel squad, very smart, business oriented and intelligent young minds who were also in the same direction throughout the trip.

“To see an opportunity, we must be open to all thoughts” - Catherine Pulsifer.

This quote always came to mind whenever we got to a new site and as we drove round the city beholding its beauty. A lot was in Dubai for us to learn and understand. We would always talk about Nigeria and our beloved State as we went deeper into the roots, leadership, values, cultures, and religion of the U.A.E. I discovered tourism in the most amazing manner and how much it has helped the country economically. The U.A.E. has a population of over 9 million; 1.4 million are natives while the rest are foreigners. It has opened its hands to a lot of visitors and innovation and the hospitality is top notch despite its status as an Islamic Country. We admired how responsible and futuristic they were towards their development. Indeed, nothing is impossible if you set your heart to achieve it and diversity is no excuse.

However, we had an amazing time out with great personalities in the entertainment industry courtesy our Sponsors. I would never have imagined meeting DBanj and Yvonne Orji in Dubai to talk more about sailing on the same yatch. We finally had good Nigerian meals which for me were a good way to bring the tour to an end — I will tell my food story in Dubai sometime in the near future.

Meeting Our Principal/ Sponsor

There are rare humans we doubt exist, and I think Prince Tonye Princewill is one of those rare humans. I really admire people who believe in human investment and meeting one who is passionate about it is the HIGHLIGHT of the challenge. Every conversation with him was fruitful, even the jokes had a message accompanying it.

Getting to dine with someone so intelligent yet humble is a rare privilege and humbling too. For years I have searched for the right mentor, a lot of persons I have gone into their DMs ignored me but I got an encounter on a platter of Gold.

I was scared he would see me as an unserious person because I was the clown in the squad who would carry fufu and soup from Nigeria to Kenya. However, I was there to also create content and have fun, so being me was the surest bet in getting pure contents. But then as a good motivator, he suggested I go into comedy, whether he was serious about it or not, I would think about it soon.

This piece would be incomplete without thanking Madam Kalanne Fubara and her team. We had a nice time because they made it happen.

What next After the Trip

A lot has been seen, learnt, experienced, and talked about and deciding hastily wouldn’t be a wise action. I have been doing a lot of thinking, researching, and scanning as so much was discovered in Dubai and with my amazing squad, we are certain we will not let this huge investment in us go to waste.

We are appreciative of Princewills trust — that family has a whole lot of intelligent people which is expected as the Prince is one intelligent man I have met in recent times. Ma’am Mina was a true representative of Princewills Trust and we were certainly in good hands. I look forward to many more productive years as we gradually put to work our ideas.

“Excuses will always be there for you, Opportunity won’t” – Anonymous

Written By Deborah Dagogo Ibaningo

By: Adémólá Òrúnbon

Senator Solomon Adeola, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Finance has expressed shock and sadness over the demise of His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdullateef Adediran Akanni, the Olofin Adimula Oodua of Ado Odo and the King of Ado kingdom.

In a statement signed by the Senator’s Chief of Staff and Media Adviser, the Senator said the passing of the Monarch is a great loss, not only to his immediate family and kingdom but the people of Ogun West Senatorial District and the Ogun state as a whole.

“I recall with fond memories that the departed “Ojikutujoye Obaarun Oladekan 1″ was always at the forefront of any development initiatives in Ogun West beyond his domain and will go to great length to solicit assistance for community development” Senator Adeola stated.

The Senator prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed Monarch and the fortitude for his immediate family and other bereaved relatives to bear the irreparable loss.