Rotary International to offer Nigeria $7m grant for disease prevention

Gordon Mclnally, president of Rotary International, a non-governmental humanitarian organisation, will embark on a three-day working visit to Nigeria from Friday.

In a statement on Monday, Emmanuel Lufadeju, coordinator of the local organising committee (LOC), said Mclnally will during the visit, make a donation of $7 million for disease prevention and eradication.

He said the latest grant is in addition to a recent $14 million donation from Rotary to Nigeria, through the World Health Organisation (WHO), for technical assistance on polio surveillance.

Lufadeju said the visit would strengthen ties between the federal government and Rotary International.

“This visit is to cement the already existing bond between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders,” the statement reads.

“Nigeria is the awardee of the 2nd ‘Programme of Scale (PoS), a US$2 million US dollar grant, for the improvement of the Maternal and Child Health code-named — “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria’.

“Also, recently, a new grant amounting to US$14million was given by Rotary, through the WHO to the Government of Nigeria, to enable WHO provide technical assistance on polio surveillance.

“The grant was also a support to avert a resurgence of wild polio as well as to eradicate the Circulating Variant Poliovirus Type 2 (CVPVD2) in the country (CVPVD2).

“Another US$7Million is to be donated by Rotary to UNICEF for Eradication and disease prevention in Nigeria.

“It is important to note that Rotarians are actively involved in the implementation of all Rotary projects in Nigeria, working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, the State Ministries of Health and other national and international partners.”

Lufadeju said Nigeria is a priority nation for Rotary International, adding that the organisation would increase its districts in Nigeria from four to six by July 1, 2024.

He said this would make Nigeria the country with the highest number of districts in Africa.

“The country is duly recognized by being given the longest duration of Rotary International President’s visit in his Africa Hope Tour,” the statement reads.