Vice-President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu Administration to drive economic growth and transform the nation’s healthcare system.
This is just as the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) has announced a donation of $5 million to the Rotary Foundation to address maternal mortality in Nigeria.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications at the Office of the Vice-President, Stanley Nkwocha, said in a press release that Shettima spoke on Friday during a courtesy visit by the Chair of the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, Mark Daniel Maloney, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Shettima lauded the significant contributions of Rotary International and other stakeholders to Nigeria’s development.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully committed to repositioning the Nigerian nation. He is a revolutionary leader who has made far-reaching decisions for the betterment of this country – decisions unmatched in contemporary history,” he said.
The Vice-President affirmed Nigeria’s readiness for economic resurgence, urging Rotary International to deepen its involvement in combating environmental challenges such as desertification and deforestation through initiatives like the Great Green Wall project.
“We need your support in aggressive environmental regeneration. It’s a win-win for all,” he added.
Shettima also assured of the Federal Government’s continued investment in education to address Nigeria’s youthful demographics, noting that education is the ultimate game changer which offers the opportunity for even the most disadvantaged to rise and make an impact.
He stated: “With education, within a generation, the son of a pauper can be a celebrated icon. Ours is a young nation and the average age of the Nigerian nation is 16.9.
“Education gives us the greatest window to engage these young ones.
“The trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that transition. One out of every four black person is a Nigerian.
“Nigeria is where the action is because Nigeria is where the human needs are more tremendous”.
Earlier, Maloney had commended Nigeria’s strides in healthcare, especially the eradication of wild poliovirus, attributing the success to strong government partnerships.
The Rotary Foundation Trustees Chair said, “The Rotary Foundation has funded $34 million in health-related projects in Nigeria over the past year.
“We were pleased that the last case of wild poliovirus occurred in 2016 and Nigeria along with the continent of Africa was declared wild poliovirus-free.
“Now we are facing the issue of vaccine-derived wild poliovirus. We appreciate the work of the federal government in partnership with Rotary, WHO, UNICEF, and other global organisations for their efforts at combating the new polio variant.”
Also, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, lauded the philanthropic efforts of Rotary International and the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, describing their contributions as life-changing.
He said, “I was so glad when I heard the intention to donate $5 million by the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation to help and partner with the Rotary Foundation to deal with maternal mortality in the country.
“As you know, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trying to crush maternal mortality and there is an initiative to reduce mothers dying from pregnancy when there is a complication. So, contributions from the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation will go a long way in helping to address maternal mortality.
“Beyond maternal mortality, there have been many contributions in our federal hospitals that Sir Emeka Offor has been doing over the last year and a half that I have seen, and we think he’s a good example for other wealthy Nigerians to consider making contributions so that we all join hands to improve the health of all Nigerians.”
Speaking on his foundation’s commitment, Sir Emeka Offor pledged continued support for the government’s healthcare initiatives.
“We want to ensure that the intentions of the present government under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are actualised.
“I will stop at nothing in supporting the government in achieving its objective of making health services affordable for all Nigerians and accessible to the innermost part of this country,” he pledged.
