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Rotary Club of Amuwo, District 9111, recently hosted Rotarian (Prince) Henry Akinyele, the United District Governor, and his entourage on his first official visit to the Rotary Club of Amuwo, Lagos.
On his arrival at the venue of his reception, the United President of Rotary Club of Amuwo, Ikenna Oguejiofor, welcomed the District Governor (DG) and his entourage and, thereafter, ushered the DG to a banner that highlighted the project on maternal and child health, which they just concluded by donating maternity kits to expectant mothers, as part of activities marking the Rotary Year 2025-2026.
The Rotary Governor informed the DG that the event had taken place earlier in the day at the Oluremi Tinubu Primary Health Care Centre, 41 Road, Festac Town, Lagos.
Rotarian Oguejiofor explained to the DG that Rotary Club of Amuwo embarked on the project to enlighten expectant mothers of the need to always monitor their health situations as well as that of their babies.
The Rotary Club afterwards donated delivery kits to several of these women to encourage safe childbirth and healthy babies.
As part of the visit, there was an exhibition mounted at the entrance to the venue of the event by earlier recipients of the Rotary Club’s micro-credit project. Having invested in various trades, they showcased their products to the delight of the DG.
In his welcome address, Rotarian Oguejiofor appreciated the statutory visit of the DG,
Rotary International District 9111, and his entourage, Rotarians present, as well as friends. He was optimistic that this Rotary Year 2025-2026 under the new DG would excel.
Before embarking on the board meeting with the DG and his entourage, the Project Director of Rotary Club of Amuwo Revolving Loan, Rotarian PAG Nwanne Pius Udeh, made a presentation in which he explained that the club’s micro- credit lending project commenced in 2005, having endured for 19 years. He said further that the micro-credit project (Revolving Loan Fund) was a matching grant project initiated by Rotarian PAG Ike Ugwu, proposed by Rotary Club of Amuwo, and sponsored by Rotary Clubs of Waunakee and Madison West Town Middleton, USA, with support from Rotary District 9110 Nigeria, 6250 Wisconsin, USA, and the Rotary Foundation.
Rotarian Udeh further said that the objective of the project was to offer poverty alleviation and financial self-sufficiency and education for women of Amuwo and Ojo local government areas of Lagos, and, in 2023, it was extended to women from Ajeromi Local Government Area.
“Even though the Matching Grant Project has been concluded and terminated, the club still managed the funds to ensure the project stays alive,” Rotarian Udeh explained.
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For the continuation of funding, the club commenced with substantial seed money and, to date, over 226 women belonging to credit groups have received various sums of financial support from the micro-credit project.
Highlighting some of the immediate and long-term impacts of the project, Rotarian Udeh said they include provision of badly needed cash and empowerment to business and trade, provision of skills for trade and vocation, increase in safe health practices and enhanced standard of living, among others. He then announced that nine beneficiaries involved in various trades and endeavors would be presented with over N3 million as loans.
Rotarian Udeh reported further that the committee approached recent past presidents and the current one for support, but none of their promises was fulfilled. He stressed that the club would be counting on the current United President to live up to his promises to the committee.
“We are equally using this medium to appeal to the United District Governor for a grant to support the project, because the inflation in the country has very much reduced the purchasing power of the amount we lend to those women and there have been increased demands from them that we can’t meet presently,” he maintained.
“Furthermore, there are lots of women that have been interviewed and qualified to benefit but we do not have the funds to extend to them immediately.”
In response, the District Governor applauded the Rotary Club of Amuwo for sustaining the project for 20 years, not allowing it to die after receiving the matching grant.
He appreciated the President and the Project Director for a good job, while advising the recipients to use the money to be received judiciously by investing it in their business and not using it to settle immediate cash needs.
The DG further advised that the Rotary Club of Amuwo was entitled to district grants as requested by the club.
He said since the project has been on for 20 years running after receiving the matching grant, they might apply for the district grant for next year.
He also informed the Rotary Club of Amuwo that there were sufficient testimonies behind the project that would assist the Club in attracting grants from the USA, as well as global grants.
Thereafter, the nine recipients of the new loan were presented with their cheques by the DG, supported by some members of his entourage and the president, Rotarian Oguejiofor.
