By Funsho Arogundade
To the foremost educationist, Dr Folasade Shotomide, one good turn deserves another. At a point in her life, she needed support and was dazed how people with no filial connection rallied round her. That stimulated the hunger in her to give back to society. Shotomide looked out for an opportunity to explore the humanitarian virtue in herself but realised she cannot do it alone. A chance encounter with a resource person during an engagement at the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Africa Leadership Forum changed her perspective on how to help and serve a larger community. This led her to Lions Club International nearly two decades ago.
Shotomide, a teacher of over 30 years and now proprietor of The Right Choice Schools and His Grace Educational Services both in Akute, Ogun State, has been a member of Lions International since 2005. She is a past President of Lagos Achievers Lions Club and has held various leadership positions in the international service club.
With her steadfast commitment to humanitarian works, Shotomide has been widely recognised by both the entire society and most importantly, her club, which decided to elect her to head the District 404A3 of the Lions Club as the District Governor. On 25 June, she was officially recognized and installed as a District Governor at the Lions International Office during the 2024 Convention in Melbourne, Australia. On her return to Nigeria, Shotomide announced her sequence of activities with focus more on humanitarian activities, youth empowerment, and agriculture. During her one-year service tenure, she planned to train 100 youths on Information Communication Technology.
Shotomide was elected the District Governor on Saturday 11 May, 2024 at the Lions Club multiple convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. She would be publicly unveiled in Lagos on 27 July. Her tenure will run from 1 July, 2024 to 30 June, 2025.