In a significant move towards promoting healthy lifestyles in Anambra State, the First Lady, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has received overwhelming support from various youth bodies including the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Anambra State Association of Town Union (ASATU) Youth Wing, Ohaneze Ndigbo Youths, and representatives from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
This endorsement came during a courtesy visit to the Governor’s Lodge in Awka, where Mrs. Soludo shared her vision for a healthier Anambra.
Mrs. Soludo, who has made healthy living a cornerstone of her initiatives, highlighted the importance of nutrition, exercise, and basic emergency medical knowledge. She emphasized the critical role of food in health, pointing out that many diseases can be reversed through proper diet rather than relying solely on medication. She also stressed the importance of regular exercise, noting its energizing and detoxifying effects.
Addressing the issue of reproductive health, Mrs. Soludo announced the establishment of pad banks in schools and tertiary institutions across the state to support young girls in emergency situations. She also emphasized the importance of personal and environmental hygiene, urging the youth to be proactive in maintaining cleanliness.
The First Lady also touched on the critical issue of mental health, particularly among the youth, and expressed her commitment to working with the World Health Organization and other drug agencies to combat drug abuse. She called on parents to be vigilant and supportive of their children’s mental well-being.
In recognition of her efforts, the Anambra State Youth Leaders presented Mrs. Soludo with awards, including the Grand Patroness and Global Icon of Hope for Anambra Youths Worldwide. They also inaugurated the Healthy Living Advocacy Group (HLAG) as a support group for the Healthy Living With Nonye Soludo initiative.
Mrs. Soludo expressed her gratitude for the recognition and vowed to continue her crusade for healthy living, aiming to make it a cultural norm in the state. With the youth leaders firmly behind her, the initiative is set to make significant strides in transforming the health landscape of Anambra.
Earlier, Comr. Ken Okoli, the President-General of ASATU Youths, in his opening remarks recalled that one of the five key thematic areas for youths in the policy documents of 2019 in Nigeria is the promotion of health and healthy lifestyle, which is in line with Mrs. Nonye Soludo’s healthy living initiatives.
He said that for the first time in the history of the state, ASATU Youths, NYCN, and Ohanézè Youths have come together, but Nonye Soludo’s healthy living initiative has made it possible.
“We have come together to form a support group called the ‘Healthy Living Advocacy Group’ to aggressively drive the message of healthy living in the state, which has ten fundamental pillars, and we are determined to do this. We have also decided to make you the Grand Patroness of Anambra Youths Worldwide. It started as a passion, then became a business, and now you are the First Lady of the state; it is now a crusade, and the next agenda is to make it a movement!” he said.
Also speaking, Amb. Innocent Nduanya, the Deputy National President of NYCN, maintained they would play an advisory role to make sure the objective is achieved. “Among all the governors’ wives in Nigeria, you are the only visionary governor’s wife in Nigeria because you came with a clear vision, which is healthy living, which will never die. As young people in this state, we will make it a national and a global program,” he said.
On his part, Comr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the National Youth Leader of Ohanézè Ndigbo Youths, assured the First Lady of their support towards her healthy living initiative in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
