The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, Otileta VII has expressed his willingness to collaborate with Phenomenal Strides Foundation (PSF), particularly on women empowerment initiatives under the aegis, one of his signature development programmes.
Receiving PSF team, led by its Founder/CEO, Mrs. Ibiba Odili, at his palace in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Friday, the monarch emphasised the role of faith in service, stating: ‘Religion is not only about communicating with God, but also about helping humanity — one person at a time — just as PSF has begun’.
Oba Matemilola, who is also a Professor, congratulated Odili on her recent retirement from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, describing that phase of life as ‘not a sentence to death, but an opportunity to sharpen one’s mental acuity and to build a lasting legacy of impact for humanity’.
He commended her passion for community development, which he observed had been evident long before her retirement, and prayed for divine resources and virtues to enable her to achieve above and beyond.
Odili explained that the purpose of the NGO’s first ever visit was to officially notify the monarch of PSF’s work and to seek his fatherly counsel, royal blessings, and guidance as the foundation advances its mission.
She described the Olowu as a foremost development practitioner with a huge heart for community transformation through his numerous service platforms, which includes the Solace Foundation on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Advocacy, which she is also a foundational member.
Odili said that PSF was established to strengthen families, promote community cohesion, bolster harmony, and empower youth, women, and children, who significantly remain the backbone of community and national development.
She also stressed the need for more collaborative efforts in reducing risky behaviours, which are alarmingly escalating and complicating substance abuse and other risky behaviours.
Odili pledged the foundation’s readiness to support the monarch in enhancing different areas of community development.
The visit ended on a note of mutual commitment to partnership, empowerment, and community transformation.
