The LagosMums 5th Annual Parenting conference and exhibition held on the 13th October 2018 at Harbor Point VI. The event was well attended with attendees who had pre-registered for the event and a few more who registered at the venue.
The Saturday event served as an extension of the online experience, providing a face-to-face forum for networking and discussions on parenting in the 21st Century. The theme this year was “The Future- Our Children To The World” and there were over 1200 mums registered, 20 vendors, 19 speakers and 5-panel sessions on various topics. The event started with a welcoming speech and opening prayer by the MC Tonye Orji and Yetty Williams, LagosMums Founder gave the opening remark.
Each of the speakers who are passionate about children, families and the future gave their views on different topics ranging from “Parenting Today: It Starts With Parents”, ” Understanding Millennials And Generation Z”, “Financing The Future – Money doesn’t have a gender”, “Healthy Living: What You Don’t Know Can Kill You” and “Parents Keeping It Real Talkshow”.
The first Panel was on “Parenting Today – It starts with Parents. The speakers were Lanre Olusola – parenting coach, Dakore Egbuson-Akande – actress and humanitarian and Yetty Williams – founder LagosMums, was the moderator. The session was enlightening as the speakers talked about what it takes to be a parent in the 21st century. The panel shared practical tips and strategies to raise children with the right values. Parenting is about helping God birth his purpose and mandate in your child’s life. They re-enforced that parenting has to be intentional and parents have to stay relevant to be able to connect with children in the 21st century. Parents were also encouraged to have a vision of the kind of adult they want to raise and start from there.
The speakers for the “Understanding Millennials And Generation Z” Panel were Taiwo Akinlami –Total Childhood management & child development expert, Abi Longe – Consultant, Dr. Orode Doherty – Pediatrician and Public Health Physician and Joy Isa – Pastor Elevation Church, educationist, and counselor was the moderator. It was an amazing and eye-opening session as the speakers helped parents understand that Millennials and Generation Z are not really different, they’re just growing up in a changing world and parents need to understand the changing world. Parents also have to allow their children make their own mistakes and allow them learn from those mistakes rather than shield them. They should also be more fun and relatable to get children to open up more.
Money indeed does not have a gender. The Financing The Future panel featured Arese Ugwu – The Smart Money Woman, Tosin Fowowe – highly sought-after Finance Coach/mentor, Bowale Agboade Entrepreneur and Founder of Kid Entrepreneurs and Tonye Orji who was the moderator. It was a very educative and inspiring discussion on the need to change how we socialize our children (both boys and girls) when it comes to money because children need to learn the value of creating wealth. Also, they emphasized on how women business owners and entrepreneurs need to understand the numbers behind their business and how a family unit needs to be a team to handle the family economy.
What you don’t know can and will kill you and this was discussed on the Healthy Living panel. There was also a focus on the importance of proper nutrition and skin care for the children and family. The session had Rayo Abe – Founder LagosHouseWife, Damola Ladejobi – Fitness and healthy living coach and founder @AskDAmz, Dr. Patrick Ijewere – Internal medical physician and Tamara Egbedi – a lawyer, the founder of Makeda Beauty and co-founder of PachaMama Foods as the moderator. The speakers emphasized on the fact that our goal as consumers should be to eat as close to the ground as possible. Ignorance is not bliss and knowledge is power – It’s important to make time for a healthy lifestyle to avoid battling with sickness’ later.
And the final session was the Parents Keeping it real talk show that allowed parents ask questions and have in-depth discussions about parenting. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi Coordinator, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, Kehinde Nwani – Educationist and Founder MeadhowHall, Williams Chukwudi – Trainer and coach were on this panel and it was moderated by Chika Okorafor Aneke – Head teacher of Ikoyi Nursery School (U.K NPQH qualified). The panelists were able to discuss several things that parents usually shy away from such as teaching children about sex at the right age and also talking to children about homosexuality and why it is wrong. The increase in child sexual abuse was also discussed and it was noted that most times, the perpetrator is a family member. This panel was certainly very lively, honest and detailed with many of the challenges and realities of raising children in the 21st century.
There was a creche section courtesy of The Event Nanny where mums with young children between the ages of 0 – 3 left their kids in good care and were able to attend the various session.
The exhibition hall also offered attendees the opportunity to shop, sample products and get lots of free products. LagosMums will like to thank our sponsors – Maggi who served a sampling of jollof rice from the Maggi stand, Golden morn who served Golden Morn Puffs garnished with different toppings, Nivea who had a photo booth and product display and DSVRT who encouraged parents and created awareness on the measures Lagos State is taking to end sexual and Gender Based Violence. Attendees also got to interact with a host of other vendors that were present.
The giveaway segment of the event saw mums win House of Tara makeover vouchers and LagosMums Journals. Our female speakers got cute personalised basket bags and our male speakers got lovely leather organisers courtesy of Fran Asemota Living.
Also, Oluwajoba Makanjuola who got a summer scholarship to the UK at the LagosMums Parenting Conference and Exhibition 2017 shared her experience. The opportunity for attendees to win a summer scholarship to the UK for their child was also available this year.
The vote of thanks was given by Mr. Labi Williams, the husband of Yetty Williams – LagosMums founder. He thanked the attendees, speakers and sponsors of the event.
We thank all our sponsors and all the LagosMums ambassadors and vendors who helped make this event a wonderful one! We thank our Media Partners – The Guardian, BattaBox, Lost In Lagos, BellaNaija, MTN, Thrive Women and Ben TV. We also say a very big thank you to Fotolighthouse for the amazing pictures.
We thank all our Mums and few Dads (LagosDads) who were in attendance. Without you, this would not have been a success. Thank you for your feedback and comments that have been pouring in as well. We thank God for such a brilliant conference. See you next year at “LagosMums2019”.
Stay tuned for more pictures and digital downloads from the event.
Be sure to follow @LagosMums on Instagram and Twitter, visit the website www.LagosMums.com and sign up for the newsletter to get more information and to be notified of future events.
Photography by Fotolighthouse
