Opara UgonnaVICE President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has raised alarm over the increasing number of widows, orphans, and vulnerable persons in the country.
Prof. Osinbajo spoke in Akure at the commissioning of the Dorian Homes, a multi-million-naira edifice built by Dr Tolulola Bayode, in honour of her brother who died in 2018.
Prof. Osinbajo commended Dr Bayode for building what he termed a palace for orphans, said places like Dorian Home initiatives were needed to help widows and orphans rebuild their lives.
“We are confronted with a huge challenge. In 2015, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development estimated that there were about 17.5million orphans and vulnerable children in a nation of about a 200million people. That is close to nine per cent of the population. Sadly, this number has increased over the years due to violence, conflicts, communal clashes in different parts of the country.”
“There is a large number of widows and vulnerable women and again due to conflicts in different parts of the country, the number has grown. Millions of orphaned children need spaces to grow and to thrive and ensure that their physiological needs are met, a place where they are cared for and trained. The women after harrowing situations also need spaces where they can begin to rebuild, that is why places like Dorian Home initiatives are needed.”
Dr Bayode stated that besides the death of her brother, the near-death experience she had during childbirth made her realise that every acquisition is meaningless after death.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the project was a complement of his administration focus on community development.
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