Billionaire philanthropist, Sir Emeka Offor, has committed $5 million to Rotary Foundation to expand and strengthen its initiative aimed at reducing maternal and neo-natal death in high-need areas of Nigeria.
The industrialist gave the support to Rotary through his Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF).
Offor, the Chairman of Chrome Group and a member of Rotary Club of Oraifite, District 9142, Nigeria, said in a statement: “Helping mothers and babies survive and thrive is among the greatest investments we can make in Nigeria’s future.
“We have seen a unique opportunity to build upon a Rotary-led programme, to further turn the tide on maternal and child mortality by working together.
“This partnership marks a powerful step forward for the health and wellbeing of families across Nigeria.”
Nigeria has some of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates in the world.
Improving access to pre-natal care and skilled deliveries in equipped facilities had been reducing the burden.
Also, chairman of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, Mark Maloney, stated the club (Rotary)-led programme had been training health workers, upgrade clinics, engage communities, and strengthen health data systems.
Maloney noted that two years into the implementation, supported facilities in four target regions of Nigeria reported increased ante-natal visits, reductions of 20 per cent in maternal deaths, and 28 per cent in neo-natal deaths.
Maloney said: “Sir Emeka Offor has contributed more than $4 million to polio eradication efforts in Nigeria, making him the largest individual donor to this cause on the African continent.
“The extraordinary commitment from Sir Emeka Offor Foundation at reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality in high-need areas of Nigeria comes at a critical time in our members’ efforts to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria.
“We deeply appreciate Sir Emeka’s partnership and his strong belief in Rotary’s ability to reach even more communities and create lasting change for the health and wellbeing of Nigerian families for generations to come.”
Rotary’s Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme was first launched by Rotary members in Nigeria and Germany in partnership with the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), the Federal Ministry of Health and leading professional health associations.
In 2022, the initiative was the second to receive programmes of scale grant from the Rotary foundation, an annual competitive process that awards $2 million to an evidence-based initiative, driven by the club’s members, with the capability for scaling up to help more people.
