Sanwo-Olu, UNICEF urge parents to be good role models

Lagos commits to check deaths from emergencies, disasters

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and the Country Representative of UNICEF, Cristian Munduate, have urged parents to surround their boys with positive role models for them to become responsible adults.

Sanwo-Olu, who gave the advice, yesterday, during the 2024 Lagos boy-child initiative parenting seminar, said that when parents have these positive role models, they would help to show the boys many facets of healthy masculinity, including respect, kindness, and integrity.

The governor’s wife, who noted that as parents, one of the most powerful things they could do is to create a culture of open communication within the homes, added that when boys are encouraged to share their thoughts and express their emotions, it shows that their voices matter and that their feelings are valued.

She, however, said that the government is committed to creating an environment where every child can reach their full potential, adding: “Let us foster environments where they can grow into men of integrity, resilience, and empathy. Let us guide them to understand that true strength lies not in dominance, but in understanding, not in isolation, but in connection with others.

“Together, we can raise a generation of boys who will grow into pillars of a more compassionate society. In another development, to check deaths from emergencies, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has partnered with Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to develop and implement emergency preparedness and response protocols for healthcare facilities across the state.

In his welcome address at the development of management of emergency victim’s protocol, yesterday, Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, noted that despite efforts of the paramedics to save lives during emergencies, such were being thwarted either through a waste of time in getting available bed spaces in hospitals or difficulty in receiving timely definitive care at the hospital.

He said that governments and health agencies must work together to mitigate disaster risks with an approach that will not only emphasise “preparedness,” but must involve every level of society, especially healthcare monitoring institutions which must work to establish protocols for healthcare facilities to ensure prompt and efficient responses to emergencies. Oke-Osanyintolu further stated that improving emergency response protocols in healthcare is more than a logistical challenge; it is a moral imperative.