The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike
Dabiri-Erewa, has described Mrs Olusubomi Iginla-Aina, a recipient of
the insignia, Member of the British Empire (MBE), as a true reflection
of the Nigerian spirit of hardwork, diligence, integrity and trust-worthiness.
Owing to her outstanding performance and achievements, Hon. Abike
Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, NIDCOM conferred on Mrs Olusubomi Iginla-Aina
MBE, the title of ‘Diaspora Ambassador’.
Dabiri-Erewa gave the title in her office when she received Nigerian-UK
Youth Philanthropist, Mrs. Olusubomi Iginla-Aina, the CEO, LightUp
Foundation, who was installed with the insignia of MBE, among 1,073
nominees on Nov. 26, 2019 in honour of the Queen’s birthday.
According to the NIDCOM Boss, the vision to have a better Nigeria is a
clarion call for its citizens to take up and not a sole responsibility for the Federal Government.
She commended the LightUp CEO, of the commission’s disposition to assist
the organisation and equally promised to liaise with the Minister of
Sports and Youth Development on her behalf, for her good gestures.
Dabiri-Erewa said that the conferment was a testament to the numerous
selfless services Olusubomi Iginla Aina’s has done both at home and in
the UK on youth development, child abuse and the less privileged.
Receiving the title, the elated Iginla-Aina’s and CEO of LightUp
Foundation, appreciated the commission for its kind gesture.
She believed that her passion was a divine mandate to motivate the
youths positively, and be a vocal person for the vulnerable, dating back
to her leadership role as Head Girl, Anglican Girls’ Grammar School,
Surulere, Lagos state, and as the first female Student Union President,
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state, more than 15
years ago.
She said her projection to the UK in 2005 started when Prof. Rogers
Makanjuola, a former Vice Chancellor of OAU, referred her to UN ECOSOC
to join a project, thus giving birth to her own project, LightUp Foundation.
Aina, a mother of three and an LLM holder, said the foundation which
started 19 years ago, has worked closely with youths in the UK and parts
of Nigeria, especially in Abeokuta and Kwara.
She said that the foundation has pet projects, such as, Let’s Talk and
Bag of Hope, which engage the youth on positive thinking, good
value-system, community service and development.
The MBE awardee, recalled that the highlights of the organisation was
when five youths from the foundation, were selected out of a 15-man team
to work on a project in the Croydon Borough, UK, as well as, proudly
wearing the outfit she adorned while receiving her insignia from the
Prince, by the inmates from the corrective facilities in Nigeria, plus
numerous fields of entrepreneurship which the inmates are participating.
Olusubomi, also a Guinness World Book of Records holder, pointed out
that the foundation is engaged another undertaking of reconnecting
changed delinquents with their families, as some of them were disowned
by their families while in correction centres.
With the partnership from JP Morgan Chase & Co., (an American
multinational investment bank headquartered in New York City), she seems relentless on her plans to do more at home.
The LightUp Foundation, is an NGO with the vision of improving child
rights, youth empowerment and creating awareness on the dangers of child abuse. It started since 2000, the foundation has impacted over 10, 000
people via the Bag of Hope initiative, with 800 youths being impacted
out of prisons.
