Mary Ekah
The 79th anniversary of the Ikoyi Club is taking a different dimension from the previous years as it kicked off last Monday with a weeklong exhibition from various sectors of the economy. The exhibition, which will have various stakeholders from all the major sub-sector of the Nigerian economy exhibit their products all through the week, organisers said was first of its kind in the history of the anniversary celebration of the Africa’s premier club.
At a press conference held at the club’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, to herald the commencement of the 79th anniversary activities of the club, organisers said this year’s anniversary was very significant as it is a build-up to the club’s landmark 80th anniversary next year.
The club’s Chairman, Babatunde Akinleye, explained that globally it was difficult to find an establishment like Ikoyi Club in terms of size and diversity of its offerings, coupled with the fact that it is still in its full glory 79 years down the line. This he said was a testimony to the memory of those who set it up and put the structures in place to enable it to stand the test of time.
Akinyele said that the club has a tradition of celebrating its anniversary every year, an avenue that not just celebrate the members but also allows the club to look back at its progress in the previous year and also to contribute to the society in various ways such as the club’s annual charity visits to the less-privileged homes as well as the anniversary lecture, which afford them the opportunity to contribute to the discourse in the society.
High points of the anniversary activities include the Elders’ Day which held on Wednesday September 27; the anniversary lecture which held on Thursday, September 28 with the topic: Nigeria’s Economic Diversification – The Role of Agriculture for Sustainable Wealth Creation. The speaker for the lecture was the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh while the Chairman/Keynote speaker was the Chairman Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was the host at the lecture while the grand finale of the Club’s anniversary will be a dinner party on Saturday, September 30, featuring the renowned Sugar Band as the guest artist of the day.
