27th August, 2020
The Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal Abisogun II, said he will explore strategic partnership opportunities with African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) to boost the social economy of Iruland and enhance the living standards of the residents of the kingdom.
This is part of his determination to use his exposure and experience in public service to develop the kingdom.
AVPA is a Pan-African Network with a mission to increase the flow of capital into social investments to solve Africa’s pressing social issues.
Speaking when he played host to the board of directors of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) led by its Chairman, Mr. Yemi Cardoso, accompanied by Professor Pat Utomi and the Executive Director of West Africa, Ms. Oluwatoyin Adegbite-Moore; Oniru reiterated his commitment to promoting social impact investment as well as inclusive business to improve livelihoods and foster prosperity for the people of Iruland and Nigeria.
According to the monarch, who also expressed his deep appreciation to the AVPA for honouring him with the special visit, the prosperity of Iru Kingdom and the entire Lagos remains his top priority, adding that he would do everything to ensure the human capital development and success of other initiatives that will engender economic growth in Iruland, Lagos and Nigeria in general.
Earlier, Mr. Cardoso congratulated Oba Lawal on his ascension to the throne as well as his recently celebrated golden jubilee birthday, saying that the opportunities for collaboration abound in the social impact investment space to drive investments into Nigeria, especially given His Royal Majesty’s keen focus on taking Iruland to another level.
He said: “The best is yet to come, and we are very happy to note the positive strides made by you. The AVPA looks forward to maintaining a longstanding relationship with His Royal Majesty. The opportunities for collaboration abound in the social impact investment space to drive investments into Nigeria, especially given Your Royal Majesty’s keen focus on taking Iruland to another level.”
In his remarks, Prof. Pat Utomi indicated a strong desire to pilot the Neighbours Caring for Neighbours project in Iruland in line with the mission of a coalition he leads in partnership with AVPA to strengthen and promote human solidarity networks in vulnerable communities. He expressed his heartfelt congratulations and stressed the importance of social impact on communities across Nigeria and Africa.
The AVPA team, which also congratulated the Abisogun Ruling Family, assured the Trustees of the Abisogun Ruling House that Iruland can count on AVPA as a partner with global reach.