CSR-in-Action was honoured to be in attendance at the recent launch of Chipped Off, a moving and socially conscious novel written by Igazeuma Okoroba, a sustainability leader, sociologist, and advocate for child welfare. Held in Lagos, the event was more than a literary celebration; it was a clarion call for collective responsibility, compassion, and real action for children facing abandonment, disability, and medical neglect in Nigeria.
The book, Chipped Off, is a fictionalised retelling inspired by the real-life story of Taiwo (a.k.a. Ejima), a boy with complex health challenges who was abandoned in a hospital and has since lived his entire life within the walls of a medical ward. Through poignant storytelling, the book explores identity, trauma, resilience, and the silent suffering of countless children like Taiwo, who have been left behind by the very systems meant to protect them.
Throughout the event, voices from literature, healthcare, law, philanthropy, and media converged to raise awareness and urgently advocate for Taiwo’s medical treatment and dignified future. A trust fund was unveiled to support his life-saving surgery abroad, alongside a documentary screening and deeply emotional readings from the novel.
What stood out most was the collective energy in the room — a village of hearts, hands, and hopes rising for one child, and by extension, for many others. Speakers and attendees shared stories, reflections, and concrete ways to contribute. Conversations moved beyond the book into systemic issues: child abandonment, social stigma, and the burden placed on Nigeria’s strained healthcare system.
As an organisation committed to social equity and sustainable development, CSR-in-Action recognises that stories like Taiwo’s are not rare anomalies, they are recurring tragedies. And they require more than sympathy; they require systems, accountability, and collaboration. This is why we stand in solidarity with changemakers like Igazeuma Okoroba, and advocate for corporate and individual support toward the GoFuture Child Trust Fund, which is already making strides in providing healthcare, education, and hope to abandoned children in Nigeria.
This event reminded us of a truth we hold dear at CSR-in-Action: sustainable development cannot happen without inclusive development. Children — especially the most vulnerable — must be seen, heard, and supported if we are to build the just society we envision.
We celebrate the courage behind Chipped Off, and we invite our network, partners, and the public to join the movement. Support the cause. Share the story. Help Taiwo — and others like him — find a home, an identity, and a future.