Lions Clubs International Multiple District 404, with over 6,000 members spread over four Districts throughout Nigeria is set to celebrate its annual day with the United Nations.
The event slated for Friday, March 16, is billed to hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island, Lagos, and the time is 11am prompt. The theme for this year’s Lions Day is ‘Working together globally to combat diabetes’.
According to a release issued recently in Lagos by the multiple district coordinator of this year’s event, Lion Abiodun Adediji, “each year, Lions and the UN celebrate their relationship which began in 1978. They invite together leaders from government, business, and the non-profit sectors to explore solutions to pressing global needs.â€
The annual event features a keynote address and submissions by recognised world leaders, expert panel discussions and since 1989, the awards ceremony for the Winners of the Lions International Peace Poster Contest encouraging young people to express their perspectives on peace.
Since its inception, Adediji said the organisation has stuck to its mission statement of Lions Clubs International to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage and promote peace and international understanding through Lions Clubs in addition the acronym of ‘LIONS’ is ‘Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations Safety’ and ‘Loving Individuals, Offering Needed Services.â€
The first UN Day, he said, was held in September, 2017 in Geneva; another one took place on February, 27, 2018 recently in Nairobi, Kenya, being home of the third largest United Nations offices in the world; while the version scheduled to take place at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America will hold later in March, 2018.
To celebrate this year’s Day in Nigeria, former Nigerian Representatives at the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari will be the Chairman of the Day; a private Diabetes Practitioner, Dr. Mrs. Lathar Ravikuma will be the guest Speaker, while the Co-founder of the EKO Hospital Group, Dr. Olorogun Sonny Kuku, is the Keynote Speaker.
Also, according to the release by Adediji, Minister of Health, Prof. Folorunsho Adewole, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and other dignitaries in both the public and private sectors are invited Special Guests, while diplomats and expatriates from different embassies are expected to be in attendance.
Meanwhile, top members of the association, captains of industry, public officers, teachers and students in secondary schools in Lagos including Pacelli School for the Blind will be entertaining invited guests.
The International Association of Lions Clubs with its headquarters in Oakbrook, Illinois, USA, remains the youngest but largest international humanitarian service organisation in the world, with about 1.4 million members in over 46,000 clubs spread over 206 countries and geographical locations.
