The President of Rotary International, Gordon Mclnally, is set to make a fresh donation of $7million for eradication and disease prevention in Nigeria upon his arrival in the country on Friday for a three-day working visit.
This information was revealed in a statement released on Sunday by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Rotary International in Abuja.
Rotary had previously provided $14 million to Nigeria, through the World Health Organisation (WHO), for technical assistance on polio surveillance two months ago.
Nigeria had also benefitted from Rotary’s $2 million US dollar grant for the improvement of Maternal and Child Health.
During his visit, Mr. Mclnally is scheduled to meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss other areas of assistance in disease control, child, and maternal health.
According to the statement by Emmanuel Lufadeju, the Coordinator of the LOC, and Goddy Nnadi, the Co-coordinator, Mr. Mclnally’s visit will strengthen the relationship between the Nigerian government and Rotary International.
The statement highlighted that Rotary International is a leading non-governmental humanitarian organization with over 1.5 million members globally and has been pivotal in the eradication of Polio in Nigeria.
The visit aims to strengthen the existing bond between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other stakeholders.
Furthermore, Rotary will be donating an additional $7 million to UNICEF for eradication and disease prevention in Nigeria.
The statement concluded by emphasizing the active involvement of Rotarians in implementing Rotary projects in Nigeria in collaboration with various health ministries and partners.
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The statement also shed light on why Nigeria is a priority nation for Rotary International.
It stated: “Nigeria is a priority country in Africa and the world for Rotary International.”
“The phenomenal growth of membership in Nigeria has led to an increase in Rotary Districts to six by July 1, 2024, making it the country with the highest number of Districts in Africa and the highest contribution in Humanitarian Giving in the Africa Zone.”
“Nigeria has also been granted the longest duration of Rotary International President’s visit in his Africa Hope Tour.”