By Titilayo Balogun
Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club has again emerged the overall best club in District 404 A1 for the second time.
The club was founded in 1988 as an only female club, and the late Oye Williams became the charter president in 1992. It admitted its first male member, AVM Anthony Okpere (retd), who later became a district governor and multiple council chairperson.
It has since produced its first female district governor, Ezim Giwa Amu, and other prominent female members in the district including Rebecca Ahkhomu, Bintu Tinubu, Dr Omolaraeni Adadevoh, Janet Odeinde, Dame Olajumoke Simplice, Marion Johnson and a host of others.
Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club prides itself to be the biggest in District 404A1 with 84 members.
Because of the unique ways it presents itself in terms of service provision to the community and the leaders the club has produced in District 404A1 and Multiple District 404, the name Pacesetter Club was coined, and, today, it is the only Lions Club with a unique name
In keeping with the tradition of its charter members, the current President, Abdulkarim Yusuf, since he was sworn in on July 1, 2021 has been working round the clock with his team and the support of club members to ensure the club’s legacy of service to humanity remain indelible.
Since assuming office, the club has continued to provide monthly community service in line with the five focus areas of Lions Club International namely, Feeding the hungry, Environment, Childhood cancer, Vision and Diabetes.
In the last seven months, from July 2021 to January 2022, the club has reached out to over 2,000 less privileged individuals in the community.
In recognition of the club service to humanity within the five focus areas of the Lions Club International and ensuring the club feasibility in the community is top notch, Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club at the just concluded 3rd cabinet meeting in Benin, Edo State, became for the second term running, the Overall Best Club in Lions Clubs District 404A1.
In addition, it was also awarded the Best Club in Publicity and the Best Club in ICT/ Social Media.
The President, Mr Yusuf, thanked the club elders for their guidance and mentorship and expressed appreciation to the members for their dedication and support.
He called for more cohesion and unity for the club to reach its full potential.
The president said his spouse, who is also a member of Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club, Soledotun Abdulkarim-Yusuf, the current Zone1A chairperson, District 40A1, current chairperson, Marketing and Communication, also a past president of Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club, has always been his motivation as she constantly challenged him to meet and surpass her own achievements as president in 2017/2018 Lions’ Year. During her tenure, the club also won several awards, including the Overall Best Club in the district and Club Excellence Award from Lions Club International for exceptional service to humanity.
Yusuf said he and his team shall remain focused in order to achieve the remaining goals set for his administration at the beginning of his tenure because he recognised that “the reward for hard work is more work.” He finally thanked members of Lagos Ikoyi Lions Club for giving him the opportunity to serve. He promised to do everything possible to ensure the club retains its envious position not just in District 404A1 but in the Multiple District 404 Nigeria.