Almost every student in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos knows about the KB KLUB. If not for their popular name or how the members are always smartly dressed and besuited, then it will be for their acts of service.
A major recent act which is especially appreciated by the students is the renovation of the multipurpose court in the college.
The KB Klub is a socio-philanthropic organization of male medical students in the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. It was one of the many student associations for boys founded in the college in 1969 but remains the only one still thriving in the community today.
It started with just seven students with its pioneer president, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, OFR. The KB Klub’s core ethos remains philanthropy, academic excellence and social empowerment.
Throughout its 53 years of existence, the KB Klub has strived to bridge the gap between the privileged and less privileged as they aim to alleviate their suffering in society. Among their many philanthropic projects includes several medical outreaches including a medical-dental outreach.
A more notable was one in which free cataracts surgery was done for 100 people in EPE, Lagos. This outreach was in collaboration with the CEO of Eye Foundation Hospital, Dr Kunle Hassan who is also one of their life KBite (a title given to an alumnus of the club). Their philanthropic activities also include visiting and donating to those in need such as Atunda-Olu school for the physically and mentally challenged children, and the Bethesda home of the blind.
In addition, the KB Klub endeavour to create a platform for brilliant minds to showcase their ideas by organising quizzes and debates among students and also essay competitions. Perhaps their pursuit of achieving academic excellence and social empowerment led to an initiative called “Stack Reform” in 2017.
The main aim of this initiative was to empower students of the University of Lagos to come up with innovative ideas with technology, especially for the health sector.
The hope is to engage young brilliant minds to create a new generation of solution-oriented people and also create an opportunity for startups that would eventually fast-track health care delivery in Nigeria. As no man is an island, the KB Klub works in partnership with some notable companies such s Sterling bank, She Leads Africa and Life bank among many companies some of which are managed by alumni of the club (Life KBites). In 2018, the second edition of the “Stack Reform” initiative competition was held where a couple of medical students paired up to showcase their ideas. The final participants were to pitch their startup ideas to a panel of judges. Another edition was held in 2019 where the winners of the competition won half a million naira as a seed fund for their innovative ideas.
The subsequent edition of the competition was put on hold due to COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions.
Although there is hope that the initiative will continue this year as many students with brain bursting ideas have been looking forward to it.
The KB Klub also has an annual magazine publication called the “Med-Phil” magazine. It is a double-sided design with one side having medical content and the other side with philanthropic content. The magazine can be found among selected elites such as their patrons and grand patrons like Chief Kesington Adebutu and Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, OFR (first president of KB Klub) and many other notable personas in the country.
With the club’s various acts of service and core value of philanthropy, it would not be a surprise that the KB Klub is now officially registered as an NGO (Non- Governmental Organization) with CAC (Company and Allied Commission). The club seems to be focused on building a lasting legacy in the community. The KB Klub prides itself as an elite club that grooms male students into being the perfect gentleman that will make a great impact in society. With the club’s various acts of service and core value of philanthropy, it would not be a surprise that the KB Klub is now officially registered as an NGO (Non- Governmental Organization) with CAC (Company and Allied Commission). The club seems to be focused on building a lasting legacy in society.
The KB Klub prides itself as an elite club that grooms male students into being the perfect gentleman that will make a great impact in society.
