Jimi Agbaje Stresses Importance of Girls’ Education
Jimi Agbaje (right) receiving an award from the District Governor, District 404 B2 Nigeria, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel, at the Awards/Get-together organised by Zone 6A, International Association of Lions Club, District 404B2, Nigeria in Lagos recently.
A former gubernatorial aspirant in Lagos State under the People Democratic Party (PDP) and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, JKAY Pharmacy Limited, Mr. Joseph Jimi Agbaje, has advocated the importance of girls’ education, stressing that it is so important that it affects the health and economy of the nation.
He made the advocacy in his lecture entitled “Saving Our Community as a Catalyst for National-Building” at the commissioning of Legacy Project/Awards and get-together organised by Zone 6A, International Association of Lions Clubs, District 404 B2 Nigeria in Lagos recently.
While calling on Nigerians to reject the notion that boys are better or smarter than girls, he stressed that “majority of the ten million out of school children are girls. This does not only limit the girls, it impacts their future children and the country as a whole.
“For example, babies who are born to uneducated mothers are twice more likely to die before age five than those born to educated women. Female education is so important that it affects the health and economy of the nation,” he added.
He called on all to speak up for the girls and encourage them (girls) to speak for themselves especially when they notice a girls being treated unfairly.
“Encourage the education of the young women you know. Form a critical mass, hold town meetings to convince parents on the need to send their children to (girls inclusive) to school,” Agbaje advised.
The politician cum philanthropist said “Every year Nigerian children die from preventable disease such as Polio, malaria, measles and tuberculosis because they do not receive proper immunization or because adequate preventive measures are not taken.”
According to him, “Only 13% of Nigerian children under five years are fully immunized against childhood diseases, often because parents do not understand the importance of immunization.”
He charged the Lions Clubs and other organization alike as well as meaning individuals and good corporate citizens to always “Find out if the children you know below seven years have been vaccinated against the six childhood killer diseases – Polio, Measles, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Tuberculosis.”
Agbaje called on Lions Clubs to scale up its awareness programme on HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality through shared knowledge or by encouraging pregnant mothers to make regular visits to the doctor; to adopt safe habits us using bed net to protect them against malaria; to embrace exclusive breastfeeding as the preferred source of nutrition for their babies.
While dwelling on the subject matter, he explained that “nation-building connotes constructing a national identity” just as he described national identity as “an expression of patriotism even extending to superiority.”
Earlier speaking, the District Governor, District 404 B2 Nigeria, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel had reiterated the Lions Clubs commitment to humanitarian services.
Lion Blessing Modupe Umebali (right) Chairperson, Zone 6A, Lions Clubs presenting award to an awardee
He said Lions Clubs are “committed to making impact in the life of the people in our communities,” stressing that “we shall more than ever before remain committed to the course of service to humanity as we need to continue to address issues bothering on poverty, hunger and disaster which constitute a clog in the wheel of progress of the people regardless of creed, race or religion.”
In her welcome speech, the Chairperson of Zone 6A, Lion Blessing Modupe Umebali while giving her administration’s score card, said they were able to carry out some centennial projects which included four District Governor advisory council committee meetings.
Other programmes were youths’ empowerment programme, environmental programme, diabetic, paediatric cancer programme, relieving the hunger among others.
Lion Blessing Modupe Umebali (right) Chairperson, Zone 6A, Lions Clubs presenting award to another awardee at the event.
