As the curtain closes on World Interfaith Harmony Week, Kwara State continues to be a beacon of hope and a shining example of the peaceful religious relations and harmonious coexistence that can be achieved amongst Nigeria’s multicultural and diverse population.
Notably but not unusually, it is heartwarming to witness the Former Kwara State First Lady, in the person of Her Excellency Toyin Ojora Saraki, Wife of the Former and 13th President of the Senate, pay tribute to Kwara State Faith Leaders and Elders, in honour of World Interfaith Week on her widely followed social media pages where she stated:
“Harmony in a world in crisis….This World Interfaith Harmony Week, I specially appreciate the good people and faith leaders of our very dear Kwara State of Harmony!”
Informing her readers on the illustrious history of the state, she further wrote:
At its creation on 27th May 1967, the state was made up of the former Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the then Northern Region and was initially named the West Central State but later changed to “Kwara”, a local name for the River Niger.
“Kwara State is one of the 36 states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Kwara State with a population over 2.5 million people shares her boundaries with the Republic of Benin at her West and the Niger River at her North.”
“The main ethnic groups in Kwara are Fulanis, Nupes, Barubas, and Yoruba, while the five languages spoken in Kwara as the main indigenous languages are Yoruba, Hausa, Tapa, Ebira and Bariba.”
“Major towns In Kwara State include the capital Ilorin, Offa, and Jebba, located on the Niger River. Other cities include Patigi, Erin-lIe, lIoffa, Adeleke Igbewere, Ejidongari, Osi, Lafiagi, Gure, Afon, Kaiama, Isanlu-lsin, Omu-Aran, Egbejila, lIota, Iponrin, and Igbaja.”
“Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, sits on the boundary between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south and has large populations of adherents of both faiths; whose intentionally and largely peaceful co-existence has truly earned the state its epithet of ‘The State of Harmony’.”
Sharing the core vision of her continued philanthropic dedication to human-centred development in the state, she stated:
“It is indeed the state of harmony within Kwara State that inspired, conceived and birthed the establishment of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Alaafia Kwara Initiative to promote the health and wellbeing of every woman, man, child, youth, and the elderly in every community across the state, and from birth to age.”
“We continue to work together, to promote and protect Kwara State’s harmony as a shining example of the peaceful religious relations and harmonious coexistence that can be fostered amongst Nigeria’s multicultural and diverse population, for the betterment of all.”
Indeed, the key to Kwara States ethnic, religious and social stability and is exemplified by the willingness of its religious, cultural and philanthropic leaders to provide a blanket of safety, hope and genuine care for the citizenry,
19th Century American scientist and inventor George Washington Carver once declared “Where there is no vision, there is no hope”. This saying rings even more truer today with the forthright and consistent vision of Her Excellency Toyin Ojora Saraki and her Wellbeing Foundation Africa who brought hope to Mrs. Ebunoluwa Akintola, who successfully delivered a set of triplets; two boys and a girl at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) On Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
Mrs Akintola was a regular attendee of the WBFA Mamacare360 antenatal classes which takes place across 14 healthcare facilities within Kwara State and benefitted more than 14,000 expectant mothers in the last year alone.
The birth of healthy triplets is a true blessing but can also come with its associated weight of difficulties, especially with the current dire economic realities within Nigeria. In furtherance of the The Wellbeing Foundations guiding principles of ‘Wellbeing for All’, Mr. and Mrs. Akintola received from the WBFA Kwara State team, baby gift items, monetary donations, and breast pump manufactured by one of the Foundations key partners, Medela on behalf of Her Excellency Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki. The donation was made in the presence of the matron, senior hospital management representative, nurses, and the WBFA team at the NICU of UITH.
Ensuring that no stone is left unturned and that follow up on the Akintola family remains consistent the WBFA midwives and program team have through the Foundations digital midwife engaged the mother in one-on-one session to induct her in the Wellbeing Foundation Africa/Medela Cares Lactation program, which is developed for mothers of newborns in the NICU. This is aimed at improving the health and survival of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by increasing the dose of own mother’s milk via optimal lactation care for the mother and #breastfeeding transition techniques.
Both mother and babies have been discharged by the excellent neonatal Intensive Care Unit medical team at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and are doing well. These cases of hope and compassion such as the safe delivery, survival and support of the Akintola triplets, rendered with self-effacing empathy, not only demonstrates the impact that the Wellbeing Foundation Africa through its flagship #Mamacare360 classes have on mothers by encouraging them to feel empowered and prepared for delivery and care of their newborn but once again demonstrates the commitment of Her Excellency Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki to actualising a compassionate culture of caring for the sustained peace, progress, health and wellbeing of every Kwaran man, woman, youth and child.
