Lions International MD 404 Nigeria has commenced activities to mark its 60th anniversary, including the Nigeria Lions Charity Foundation (NLCF) relaunch.
The Foundation, the funding and grant-making arm of MD404 Nigeria, was relaunched in 1994 during the celebration of the 10/30 Anniversary.
The relaunch of NLCF will reposition it to fund the Lions Eye Hospital and Cancer Research Centre, which was flagged off in March this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the multiple council chairperson, MD 404 Nigeria, Anogwi Anyanwu appealed to all Lions to support the Foundation, recalling that the Lions of Nigeria previously secured a grant of $2million from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) for the eradication of river blindness in Nigeria, a profoundly successful project.
Anyanwu also said that the 2024/2025 Lions Year marks 60 years since Lions International came to Nigeria and 40 years since 404 Nigeria became a separate district and later a multiple district.
“It is gratifying to note that the fledgling single District 404 Nigeria of 1984 with about 1,300 members has metamorphosed into a giant Multiple District of over 10,000 members today, rendering humanitarian services whose landmark projects are presently dotting the geographical landscape of Nigeria especially in the areas of treatment/prevention of river blindness, accident clinics, paediatric cancer treatments, youth empowerment and education, feeding the hungry, diabetes prevention, and protection of the environment,” said Anyanwu.
The chairperson also announced that MD 404 Nigeria has been awarded the right to host the Africa Forum in Abuja in November 2027. It would be gratifying to host all the Lions of Africa in 2027.
In terms of Service Projects, he recalled that Lions MD404 Nigeria, plus the Clubs and Districts, have executed several iconic projects in Nigeria with the assistance of Lions Clubs International Foundation.