Newly-installed Oniru of Iruland, HRM Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal is arguably a pacesetter and line crosser with his plans and projects for the Oniru kingdom through his  foundation for peace and development (HAIIF)  which is an Independent, Non-partisan organisation, established to contribute to the sustainable development of the Iru kingdom and Lagos state at large.

The paramount ruler through the  Foundation, therefore, seeks to empower sons and daughters of the Kingdom as well as other well-meaning Lagosians especially young people and women; to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the State and country.

According to Mrs. Folusho Olaniyan, the project coordinator, she attests to the fact that the project is ongoing and some women have already been empowered in the kingdom.

“Iru empowerment project is set to empower 2000 women in our kingdom in the next one year, but have started already with 32 women. And already tracking and monitoring the process of empowered women.”

“We are running the project on a partnership drive. We have received a lot of positive responses from private organizations and individuals who key into the project. So we are going to disburse on a quarterly base so we are dependent on the ability of the press to propagate the message to enable more people to lash on this project so we can achieve the 2000 women as projected this time next year.”

The HAIIF Foundation for Women’s Empowerment seeks to empower women and help them thrive both on the personal and professional levels, regardless of nationality, religion, and political affiliation. Since women represent about half of the world population, the more we help them, the better our whole world will be!

We plan to help women reach their fullest potential and achieve their personal best by identifying the challenges they face, providing relevant immediate solutions, and creating and implementing action plans via our Steering Committee, in addition to Leadership Committees for Women’s Empowerment, Executive Teams, and Support Committees that we set up.

Some of its key initiatives include Women and Youth capacity building, Tourism and Development via its beautiful Oniru Beach, Climate Leadership, Wellbeing and sustainable livelihood amongst its people in the community, Health and thought leadership which is one of the key factors that His royal Majesty have been known for and lived all his life.

In just two months, precisely July 26, 2020, the foundation launched its Empowerment Hub Pilot project by supporting 32 women with seed funding of 50,000 each to start trading in agro produce. And the beneficiaries were also supported with entrepreneurial skills and training by experienced mentors, while also the team had already put in place a tracking and monitoring scheme to evaluate the growth of the seed funds.

The foundation also promises to conduct quarterly recruitment of more beneficiaries with a regular convergence of different stakeholders particularly the business community within the Iru Kingdom to identify constraint to ease of doing businessFurthermore, we learnt HRM  is set to rolle out 12 new developmental initiatives to develop, promote and reposition Iruland as a commercial hub and a world-class tourist center.

Below are the 12 Agendas as listed:

IMPROVED ROADS & DRAINS
Consultants are reviewing the entire estate from a topographical and distribution viewpoint to reduce flooding and improve roads.
IMPROVED POWER SUPPLY
A power company is currently being engaged with a view to providing power within the estate for a minimum of 23 hours daily.
STREET LIGHTING
To improve security and create a more pleasing estate for pedestrians, an aggressive street lighting project has commenced.
WASTE RECYCLING
Waste disposal is a major issue in Lagos as a whole. We are critically looking into a recycling alternative for the estate.
IMPROVED SECURITY & ACCESS CONTROL
The safety of lives and property is key. Best practices in other estates worldwide are being critically reviewed, to activate the best model for Oniru estate.
PHYSICAL PLANNING CONTROL
It has been noticed that a lot of developments have flouted simple planning regulations thereby creating discomfort for neighbours and defacing the estate. Consultations are ongoing for improved and enforceable regulations for the benefit of all.
UPDATE OF TITLES
Data on title documents/deeds to be centrally collated at a Central Estate Management office.
CONVENIENCE
Ease of payment of ground rent/development levy to be introduced.
TRAFFIC CONTROL/ROAD MANAGEMENT
Traffic flow strategy to be created for bottle-necks such as the entry from new market road and Ozumba Mbadiwe. Separate weekend arrangements to be made for the water-front event center zone and the alternative access road.
TECHNOLOGICALLY COMPLIANT ESTATE
Plans are underway to engage service providers for broadband internet services within the estate.
ECO FRIENDLY & FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
The Oniru waterfront is set for a change. We must create a healthy family-friendly environment for all.
A tree-planting campaign will be commenced by HRM in Sept. 2020.
ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY
Adequate water supply to ensure consistent maintenance of cleanliness and greenery of the environment will be prioritized.