Impressed by the humanitarian interventions of the Committee of Friends for Humanity (COFFHA), Niger State Governor, Farmer Umar Mohammed Bago, has pledged financial support and a strategic partnership between the state government and the non-governmental organization to expand its reach to underserved communities across the state.
Governor Bago made the commitment on Sunday in Victoria Island, Lagos, during COFFHA’s N300 million fundraising event aimed at completing and equipping a Skills Acquisition Centre.
Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour, the governor commended the President of COFFHA, Barr. Mrs. Augustina Igbokwe, describing her as a selfless and compassionate leader dedicated to improving lives. He also praised the founders of the organization for witnessing the growth and impact of the initiative they established over three decades ago.
“What you have done is to remind us of what God expects from humanity,” Bago said. “I listened to the Chairman of the occasion speak about the impact of charity on society. It is important that we always give back to society more than we receive from it.”
Chairman of the occasion and Chief Executive Officer of zinoxgroup.com, Leo Stan Eke, donated N12 million towards the project and announced scholarship opportunities for young Nigerians through the company’s corporate social responsibility programme.
According to Eke, the initiative has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 tech-savvy youths, urging COFFHA to nominate qualified beneficiaries for the programme.
He also shared personal experiences from his numerous humanitarian interventions, many of which have remained outside public attention, emphasizing that giving back to society is not only a divine obligation but also a source of personal fulfilment.
Also speaking at the event, former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, highlighted Mrs. Igbokwe’s longstanding commitment to humanitarian causes. He subsequently rallied serving members of the House of Representatives present at the event to raise N10 million in support of the project.
Following her inauguration as the seventh President of COFFHA, Mrs. Igbokwe reflected on the organization’s achievements over its 33 years of existence, noting that more than 4,000 beneficiaries, including widows and market women, have been empowered through various programmes.
“Our empowerment initiatives have impacted over 4,000 beneficiaries, particularly widows and market women,” she said.
She disclosed that in November last year, COFFHA trained and empowered 15 market women with digital and business management skills.
“We trained them in computer literacy, bookkeeping, business management and civic responsibility. We also facilitated company registration for each participant and provided financial support ranging from N600,000 to N1 million to help grow their businesses,” she added.
The fundraising ceremony attracted prominent personalities from various sectors of the economy, with several donors making significant contributions, including anonymous donations.
Among the dignitaries present were former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Adebayo Sarumi; former President of the Nigerian Shipowners Association, Isaac Jolapomo; Jean Chiazor Anishere; Carol Ufere; Vice President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Ify Akerele; Gloria Kanabe; Nana Yakubu; Dr. Ify Nwakwesi; President of Women in Maritime Africa (WIMAfrica) Nigeria, Theodora Nwaeze; Nkechi Ali-Balogun; Temilade Ugunniyi; and members of the Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT) Nigeria led by Folake Soji-George and Khadijat Sheidu-Shabi.
