Abuja: Lions Clubs International District 404B4 has earmarked N100 million for a diabetes-focused programme targeting 10,000 beneficiaries in the 2026/2027 service year. Its District Governor, Mrs. Patience Ngene, announced this initiative on Saturday while unveiling her leadership team and agenda for the new service year.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ngene emphasized that the initiative would prioritize children living with diabetes. The district plans to partner with health centres in communities to provide screening, treatment support, and sponsorship where necessary. Ngene highlighted the importance of focusing on children with diabetes due to the increasing number of individuals being affected by the condition.
So far, the district has reached about 100 people through its diabetes interventions, but Ngene aims to significantly scale up these efforts during her tenure. Diabetes screening will remain a major priority, alongside interventions in vision care, youth and women empowerment, and commun
ity development. Ngene also unveiled plans to empower 50 widows with sewing and branding machines to help them establish sustainable livelihoods.
Ngene stated that the success of her administration would be measured by the tangible impact of its projects on beneficiaries by the end of the service year. She expressed her desire for impactful service initiatives under her leadership. The administration will operate under the theme, ‘Passion for Service, Service Without Limits’.
The immediate past District Governor, Mr. Adebowale Afolayan, outlined the achievements of his administration, which included screening residents for diabetes and glycaemic conditions and referring those at risk to health centres. The district also conducted vision screenings and supported beneficiaries with surgeries, medication, and lifestyle interventions.
Afolayan noted that the projects were driven by community needs, covering healthcare, hunger relief, vision care, and childhood cancer. He also mentioned a membership growth of 2
36 during his tenure, with the district’s membership rising from 1,591 members at the beginning of the service year.
The First Vice District Governor, Mr. Wale Obisesan, appealed to members, donors, and friends of the district to support the new administration’s service projects, emphasizing the importance of wider support for executing the planned programmes.
Prof. John Kalama, Head of the Department of Political Science at Federal University Otuoke, stated that the Lions’ community interventions complemented government efforts in healthcare and other sectors. He stressed that national development is a shared responsibility.
The event featured the formal transfer of leadership from Afolayan to Ngene, cabinet presentations, fundraising appeals, and awards for distinguished service. Afolayan rang the gong for the final time to formally hand over leadership, after which Ngene rang it for the first time to signal the beginning of her tenure. The event was attended by Lions leaders, traditional rulers, governm
ent officials, members, friends, and well-wishers.