Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and other top government functionaries paid glowing tribute to Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo founder of IA-Foundation for organising in London a fund-raising event geared towards improving access to education in Africa’s most populous nation.
Over 250 guests from the crème de la crème of the UK diaspora community, VIPs, guest artistes and dignitaries from Nigeria attended the black tie fundraising dinner in aid of children out of school. The Founder/ CEO in her welcome address explained her passion for education and how she believes education is the silver bullet to solving Nigeria’s challenges.
All roads led to Colliers Row in Essex, United Kingdom on the 8thof February 2020, elegantly dressed, where IA-Foundation held its 1stblack tie dinner and Fundraising event in aid of “Children-out-of-school” in Nigeria.
A UNESCO 2018 survey has shown that the population of out of school children in Nigeria has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million. The IA-Foundation is a UK-registered charity founded by Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, a renowned chartered accountant in the UK. The Foundation was set up to reduce the number of children ‘out-of-school’ in Nigeria.Essentially, to empower vulnerable Nigerian children and remove any obstacle preventing a child from getting good education.
His excellency, the Vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s goodwill message, applauded Mrs Adeagbo for the timely initiative and congratulated the IA-Foundation for putting together a fund-raising event geared towards improving access to education and for sparing no effort in investing in future generations.
Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission represented by Dr. Dapo Williams said “theCommission is proud and supportive of the IA-Foundation, as no country can be serious with its future, if it leaves a sizeable number of its population uneducated”.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade’s goodwill message said “the Nigerian High commission in the United Kingdom applauds the progress made in the enthronement of a broad learning culture which will in turn ensure successful accomplishment that guarantees full support for IA-Foundation in achieving its set goals.” The Nigeria High Commissioner was represented by Mr. Paul Nwokoro, Minster/Head of Consular, Education and Welfare.
The 55thICAN President Mazi Nnamdi Okwuadigbo FCA, said “he saluted the wonderful member of our Institute, Mrs Adeagbo, I am convinced that this Foundation would be run in line with the motto of ICAN – Accuracy and Integrity.”
MC Weird thrilled the guests with her top hit, “Ijoya” and the guests danced and let their hair down. Worthy Nigerians were presented with awards on the night, especially, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, the special adviser on Education to the Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. She was awarded with the “Most impactful diaspora in the Nigerian Education sector. Whilst Mrs Bisi Akin-Alabi, former special adviser to Oyo state governor, His excellency Abiola Ajumobi, delivered a paper on the surge of children-out-of-school in Nigeria. Lots of prizes were won during the raffle draw, especially the American Auction, which the guests found very engaging and enjoyable. With a beautiful ambience, lovely food and drinks, the guests really enjoyed themselves and donated generously to a worthy cause and vowed to have IA-Foundation dinner and fundraising event, ‘a-must-attend’ event every year.
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