Lagos State Governor,
Akinwunmi Ambode has charged women in the country to engage action and embrace
unity of purpose, to achieve significant and lasting social change beneficial
to all.
He spoke at the opening
ceremony of the 18th edition of the National Women’s Conference,
held at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to him, the
theme of this year's conference, "Strengthening Our Collective
Impact," was a call for unity of purpose and coordinated action among
women, to achieve their goals.
The governor said COWLSO
had worked ceaselessly to complement the efforts of their spouses in
government, stressing that "we are proud of your achievements,
particularly in the area of giving hope and succour to the less privileged,
through donations both in cash and kind. The theme of this conference is very
apt and a call for unity of purpose and action."
He said he had no doubt
that the conference would impact participants, urging to attend the various
segments of the conference as they had been packaged to add value to their
lives.
Speaking at the event,
Chairman of COWLSO, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, said without being immodest, women all
over the world were pillars of growth and development of their countries, as they
had played roles that demonstrated how important they were to the progress of
their countries economically, politically, socially and in all other areas that
mattered.
She noted that women in
Nigeria were no different, and that COWLSO was happy that women in Lagos State
were setting the pace, adding that "our quest to continually improve the
welfare of women and sustain the vintage position of Lagos state in the
federation, are key objectives behind our coming together annually, to discuss
the way forward. This year, we will be examining topics around the central
theme: ‘Strengthening Our Collective Impact.'
"When we come
together and collaborate, either in government establishments, privately owned
businesses, N.G.Os or wherever, we tend to achieve significant and lasting
social change that would be beneficial to all. We have the unique ability of
looking at problems and coming up with solutions, that would transform lives
and make the world a better place."
Mrs Ambode urged women to
learn to come together, support each other and discard unproductive habits, as
there was advantage in numerical strength, hinting that tested facilitators and
speakers had been invited to do justice to the various topics, such as
‘Vulnerable but not Defenceless,' 'The Hazards of Teenage Pregnancy,' 'Life of
Purpose - Navigating aspects of life successfully' and 'What marriage means to
us.’
She recalled that in the
last three years, COWLSO had executed many health-related projects, which had
recorded impressive impact on the health of babies, children, youths, women and
the aged ones.
She listed them to include
the upgrade of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the Lagos Island
General Hospital, Odan while also sponsoring goiter operation for some women
two years ago and donating Portable Otoread OAEs equipment to four general
hospitals-Badagry, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Gbagada General Hospital last
year.
Mrs Ambode further said
last year, the committee donated an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the Lagos
Island Maternity, while this year, COWLSO donated portable Otoread OAEs
equipment to Shomolu and Alimosho General Hospitals, as well as two Transport
Incubator Ambulance, to Gbagada General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity
Hospital.
"These facilities
aptly described as ‘womb on wheels’, are to be deployed to convey preterm
babies, also known as ‘premature babies’, to government facilities equipped
with neo-natal ICU, to save their lives. The 'Transport Incubator' is fully
equipped with life-support gadgets and other conveniences, making it a
womb-like environment for the baby, to enhance its chances of survival while
being evacuated to the ICU.
"Those special
ambulance buses can also be used to convey infants with severe post birth
complications, and others in serious emergency situations. The women of COWLSO
reckon that with this intervention, many more newborns, infants and children in
Lagos State, will be saved from avoidable deaths with attendant happiness to
their parents," she stated.
Declaring the conference
open, Governor of Edo State, Dr. Godwin Obaseki said the programme had helped
in connecting the family with government, as wives of government officials had
always ensured that they supported their husbands in the smooth running of
government.
"This is a powerful
network, it is powerful because it serves as opportunity for government to
reach its people in another perspective of what is going on across the
state," he said, adding that it was only the family of government
officials who would be able to point them in the right direction when they
appeared to derail from the track.
Obaseki commended COWLSO
for its intervention in the health sector through donations of health equipment
to hospitals as well as making significant contributions for the wellbeing of
the less privileged in the society, adding that the committee served as
inspiration to many states, as such ideas had been replicated in many states,
while assuring that Edo State would soon replicate same for women in the state.
The highlight of the day
was the presentation of the Inspirational Woman Award to Mrs Toyin
Sokefun-Bello, popularly known as 'TY Bello’, for her outstanding work in
photography and creative art.
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