Posted on Jan 19, 2018
Rotary International, District 9110, Nigeria has unveiled Mr. Akinloye Tofowomo, a polio survivor and a top Nigerian musician, popularly known by the stage name Akin Shuga, as the District Polio Ambassador.
 
The District Governor, Rotarian Dr. Adewale Ogunbadejo carried out the unveiling exercise alongside two other district leaders, Past District Governors Rotarian Dr. Deinde Shoga and Rotarian Yomi Adewunmi, at the Rotary Centre in Ikeja, Lagos state.
 
Akin Shuga is the founder of Shuga Band- one of Nigeria’s top live bands and Shuga Limb Foundation- a foundation which provides prosthetics and empowerment to the physically challenged. 
 
During the unveiling ceremony which was held along with a press briefing, Shuga thanked Rotary for the honour and for counting him worthy to partner with them saying “it is heart-warming that the years of service to humanity have not gone unnoticed.”
 
According to him, “as somebody who has suffered polio from a tender age of 5, I have a ‘who-feels-it-knows-it’ attitude towards polio and everyone around me knows my stand. Partnering with Rotary will definitely give an edge of winning because polio is a scourge and nothing will be more acceptable than its total eradication."
 
According to Shuga, “It is the war we all have to fight. As someone coming from the point of a victim, I have a better insight of what people who have suffered polio are going through. The effects of polio cannot be underplayed as the effect is like a half demolished building. 
 
“To still be at the point of eradication now is challenging especially for countries like Nigeria, Pakistan and others that are still experiencing it. As an entertainer and a musicpreneur of over two decades, I will use my voice effectively to sensitize parents on the dire need to have their children take essential polio boosters and vaccines”, he said.
 
“I will also encourage victims like me to surmount courage and follow their career paths as greatness is beyond any physical challenge. Together, we will douse the fire of stigmatization”, he further said, adding that his main project will be the Shuga “I can walk” tour, as Shuga Band celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
 
He explained that “‘I can walk’ is a song of hope dedicated to polio victims in Africa; co-written by the legendary Cobhams Asuquo. Our key objective with the tour is to ensure all proceeds from the recordings and shows are added to what Rotary is already doing to help polio victims in Nigeria.”
 
“What Rotary is doing is huge and it takes true love of humanity to venture into it and I would enjoin everyone who has the capacity to partner with us on this laudable cause, to do it no matter how small”, he concluded.
 
Also present at the unveiling ceremony/press briefing were Past District Governors (PDGs) and other district leaders.