Rotary Club Ilorin Prestige: We’re committed to building future leaders

By Opeyemi Daniel, Ilorin

The chartered President of Rotarian Club, Ilorin Prestige, Rotarian Akinola Olufemi James has revealed that the association is committed to training kids towards ensuring that they become leaders of tomorrow.

James noted this as Rotary Club, Ilorin Prestige inaugurate Rotakids for the purpose of ensuring membership expansion and preparing the kids towards managing leadership responsibilities.

Rotakids is a club for children under the age of 13 and it is an initiative created from Rotary principles for children to aware their responsibilities to the society and the world at large.

Speaking at a special occasion organized for chartering the Rotakids, the Chartered President said the initiative was to incorporate kids of Rotarians and their friends into the Club.

“Catching them young is the key. We want to build leaders that will lead the world in the right direction. We want to build their leadership skills”, he said.

Rotarian James explained that Rotakids was introduced with the slogan “Serving while Playing”, to mentor the children so that they could act like adult while carrying out their activities.

In her remark, the immediate past President, Rotary Club of Ilorin Metro, District 9125, Dr Khadijat Toyin Musah explained that Rotary Club of Ilorin Prestige is the baby of Rotary Club of Ilorin Metro because the Club believes in membership expansion, increment and diversity.

“So, since Rotary is flexible and as a General Membership, one of the things we need to achieve is chartering another club. I am glad that Rotary Club of Ilorin Metro has deemed it fit to give birth to a new baby. You could see that Rotary Club of Ilorin Prestige which is the baby of Rotary Club of Ilorin Metro has also gave birth to another baby which is Rotakids.

“Rotakids is one of the goals of State Governor Elect, Rotarian Ayo. I’m glad that Ilorin Prestige has keyed into the goal”.

Dr Khadijat Toyin Musah who is General Membership, Assistant Governor Designate 2021-2022 Rotary year and Club Supervisor for Ilorin Prestige, said one of the goals of the Club is peace as well as conflict resolution and prevention.

Reacting to the issue of banditry and Kidnapping in the country, Rotarian (Dr) Khadijat maintained that over the years, rotary club has engaged in series of awareness towards conflict resolution and leadership trainings that have impact on the citizenries particularly on how to leave a life that will be impactful to the society.

“Rotarians all over the world talk about peace, conflict resolution and prevention. That is why we are catching Rotakids young to let them know that they are also responsible to Nigeria and the world at large because Rotarians are global citizens”.

The Vice President, Rotary Club of Ilorin Prestige, Dr Rotimi Bosede described the chartering of Rotakids as not only first of its kind in the state, but also the first project of Ilorin Prestige.

She restated the Club’s commitment towards embarking on more projects and activities that would have positive impacts on the people’s lives.

The purpose of Rotakids is to support opportunities for children to organize themselves in groups, exercise leadership skills and receives the seed of Rotary ideals with the philosophy “Serving Play”; stimulating teaching values such as dignity and respect for others as important and necessary for the formulation of human character.