Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has endorsed the N2bn endowment fund and charity initiative launched by the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria, Lagos Metro Council, describing it as a sustainable approach to supporting vulnerable Nigerians and investing in future generations.
Hamzat spoke at the unveiling of the initiative at St. Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos.
The initiative, themed “Investing Today, Sustaining the Mission, Empowering Generations,” aims to create sustainable resources for charitable activities.
The Lagos APC governorship candidate called for stronger collaboration between government and religious organisations in tackling social challenges and establishing institutions that can endure.
He said, “What we are doing shows that we must have a partnership between religious institutions and government. As long as that doesn’t exist, this country won’t make it.”
According to Hamzat, the endowment would allow the Knights to generate income to fund humanitarian activities rather than continually relying on contributions from members.
He said, “What the Knights of St Mulumba is doing is to say, how do we sustain helping other people without levying each other every time? So putting money into a system that generates income and therefore you can help people that you want to help: the vulnerable, to do boreholes, and to send people to school.”
Hamzat, who attended the event with his running mate, Hon. Damilola James, also revealed that the Lagos State Government was working towards establishing a similar long-term investment structure.
He disclosed that a bill had been forwarded to the state House of Assembly seeking to set aside a portion of government resources for long-term investment.
He said, “We cannot just be spending our money anyhow, without keeping anything. And therefore, we’ve sent a bill to the House to say a certain percentage we should put it.
“And we should encourage it to be replicated across the country. All state governments, maybe even local governments. And then, of course, the federal government.”
He also advocated a return to communal values and collective responsibility for vulnerable members of society, warning that traditional support systems were gradually disappearing.
“We are Africans. And we help ourselves to come together to build our communities. And suddenly, for some reason, this thing starts going down. So we must bring it back,” he stressed.
The deputy governor further encouraged young Nigerians to contribute to nation-building, adding that the Lagos State Government would engage the Knights on the initiative and support programmes focused on improving residents’ welfare and opportunities.
The Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, described the N2bn endowment project as a timely initiative capable of strengthening the organisation’s humanitarian activities.
Represented by the Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ayeni, the archbishop acknowledged the challenge of raising such a substantial amount but encouraged members to remain committed and trust in God.
He said, “It’s not going to be easy to raise N2 billion. But you know, the most important part of every journey is for you to begin. Once you begin, and you have the trust of God that he’s able to do it, and he’s going to do it, the same will definitely help us be able to achieve it.”
He urged members to remain committed to humanitarian service, assuring them that their efforts would eventually yield positive results.
The Worthy Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi, SAN, described the endowment fund as a legacy initiative intended to support the Church, members of the Order and vulnerable Nigerians.
He explained that the project was not simply about preserving wealth, but about creating sustainable resources capable of supporting both present and future generations.
Adehi also praised the Lagos Metro Grand Knight and his team for pursuing the initiative despite the challenges involved, while urging members who had pledged their support to remain committed to the project.
