Unveiling And Official Dedication Of Dorian Orphanage Home In Akure, Ondo State

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE UNVEILING AND OFFICIAL DEDICATION OF DORIAN ORPHANAGE HOME IN AKURE, ONDO STATE ON THE 14^TH OF OCTOBER, 2021

PROTOCOLS

Dr. Tolulola Bayode, thank you for your kind invitation to perform the formal unveiling and official dedication of the Dorian Home.

I recall meeting with Dr. Tolulola Bayode earlier in the year, where you explained the Dorian mission and this particular project. But I must confess that I did not fully appreciate the sheer scope and magnificence of the project until I arrived here today.

This premises may well be the residence of a young man or woman who would be president of Nigeria someday. I must say that your other charitable works have not gone unnoticed – the Dorian Homes for charity and social development has been rendering humanitarian services for almost a decade covering a wide breadth of services from medical outreach programmes to the Dorian Empowerment Scheme covering skill acquisition, vocational training and human capacity building and yet you have remained unwavering in your core mandate for catering for displaced, orphaned children, displaced women, widows and bringing hope and relief to societies’ most vulnerable. Very well done!

Your Excellencies honoured guests, we are confronted with a huge challenge. In 2015, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development estimated that there are 17.5 million orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria. In a nation of about 200 million people, that is almost 9% of the population. Sadly, this number has increased over the years, due to violent conflicts and communal clashes in different parts of the country.

Then there is a large number of widows and vulnerable women, again, due to conflicts in parts of the country, the number has grown.

Millions of orphaned and vulnerable children need safe spaces to grow and thrive in addition to having their physiological needs met. A place where they are cared for and trained. Women who need succour, or need an opportunity to rebuild their lives after suffering loss or harrowing experiences also need a safe space where they can begin to rebuild their lives.

This is why initiatives like the Dorian Home are so crucial. But the work cannot be done by governments alone or by a few, as with nation-building, we all must commit ourselves to this monumental social effort. The work of Dorian is a shining example of what is possible when public-spirited private individuals acting either singly or in collaboration, take positive action. This type of work is usually unglamorous and thankless. But it must be done.

I want to thank you Dr. Tolulola Bayode for single-mindedly pursuing your vision. And I thank your team for the selfless work they do in Dorian, developing society by uplifting its most vulnerable.

As Dorian has come to the aid of many and given them a new outlook on life, it is my prayer and wish for you the President of Dorian, your team and all your partners that you and all yours will never lack help, or compassion, nor the strength and resources to continue the good work you have started.

Let us remember that at the end of the day, our greatest achievements in life will not be our social status or our academic, professional or financial achievements and successes. The only measure will be how well we served humanity and the impact we made in our society when we had the opportunity and means to do so.

Thank you to the Dorian Team and congratulations to all the children and women who would be blessed through this wonderful initiative.

Thank you and God bless you.