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Emeka Offor Commits $5m To Rotary’s Health Program In Nigeria
Emeka Offor, a Nigerian philanthropist, has pledged $5 million to the Rotary Foundation to bolster its efforts in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Nigeria.
In a statement on Thursday, Rotary Foundation said the donation by the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) will support and expand its “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria” initiative.
The organisation said the initiative is aimed at improving access to prenatal care and skilled deliveries in high-need regions of the country.
“Nigeria has some of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates in the world. Improving access to prenatal care and skilled deliveries in equipped facilities has been shown to reduce this burden,” the statement reads.
“Recognizing this, the Rotary-led program trains health workers, upgrades clinics, engages communities, and strengthens health data systems. Two years into implementation, supported facilities in four target regions have reported increased antenatal visits and reductions of 20% in maternal deaths and 28% in neonatal deaths.
“The $5 million gift from the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation reflects these early successes and will help expand the program’s reach.”
Offor, who is also a Rotary member, noted that “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 program 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,” he said.
Mark Maloney, chair of the trustees of the Rotary Foundation, said Offor’s contribution “comes at a critical time in our member’s 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 families for generations to come,” Maloney added.
The “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria”program was launched by Rotary members in Nigeria and Germany, in collaboration with the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), federal ministry of health, and leading health associations.
In 2022, the project received a $2 million Programs of Scale grant from The Rotary Foundation to expand successful, evidence-based interventions.
Offor, chairman of the Chrome Group, is one of Africa’s leading private donors to humanitarian causes.
His support spans key areas including maternal and child health, basic education, peacebuilding, and polio eradication.
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has further reduced the ex-gantry price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to N835 per litre.
According to sources at the refinery, the plant dropped the price of the petrol sold to oil marketers to N835 per litre, six days after the refinery reduced it to N865 per litre.
“The refinery reduced the price of the petrol to N835 per litre,” a source told TheCable.
The reduction in Dangote petrol price followed an announcement by the federal government on April 9, that the naira-for-crude oil deal will continue after the first phase ended on March 31.
“The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” the finance ministry said.
“Thus, the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention, but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.”
On April 15, Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said the estimated pump price of petrol in Nigeria is less than that of neighbouring countries in West Africa.
Ahmed also said Nigeria’s petrol importation reduced by 29.9 million litres in eight months due to increased contributions from local refineries.
Three suspected herdsmen have been arrested following the attacks that led to the killing of 11 persons at Otobi community in Otupko local government by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Hyacinth Alia disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital.
He expressed worry over the situation and called on security agencies to track down the perpetrators.
According to Alia, National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, has promised to deploy more security assets to the State to arrest the renewed wave of attacks in the state, especially the Otukpo axis.
The governor also announced the deployment of security personnel to the affected area, with three suspected herdsmen arrested in connection with the Otobi killings.
According to the member representing Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo, nine corpses were recovered Tuesday night, followed by one in a hard-to-reach area later that evening.
By dawn Wednesday, other corpses were found, bringing the total number of fatalities to 11.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the state, particularly because the Otobi community—home to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Dam—has now come under assault twice this April.
A security guard was previously killed at the dam site just days before this latest massacre.
Earlier, the governor sent his deputy, Samuel Ode, on an assessment tour to the devastated community.
He offered condolences to the grieving families and reassured residents of the state government’s commitment to tackling the spate of violent attacks across rural areas.
Ode also made some cash donations to carter for some immediate relief while the state emergency management agency has been tasked to move in for needs assessment and provide emergency response to those in need.
The attack on Otobi is the latest in a disturbing string of assaults along the Otukpo-Ado Road, from Okpamaju to Asa One and Asa Two down to the Ebonyi State border.
At least 15 million Nigerians are at risk of flood disasters in 2025, Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed.
He made the disclosure at the commencement of a one-day Validation Workshop on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser Abuja on Wednesday.
The Vice President, however, said the Federal Government is taking a proactive approach as against a reactive approach to forestall the disaster.
He emphasized the need for collaboration among all the agencies of government at the states and Federal Government level to tackle floods and other disasters in the country.
Some of Maiduguri communities submerged in flood following a leak in the Alau Dam in 2024.
VP Shettima decried that Nigeria loses 5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to floods.
However, he disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of N15 billion to be released for emergency responses.
The Vice President, who also condemned the recent heinous attacks in Plateau state, expressed the sympathy of President Bola Tinubu to the affected families.
He, however, advocated a non-kinetic approach to tackling the security challenges on the Plateau and North-East.
According to him, “There can never be a military solution to the crisis in Plateau, North-East.”
Last week, the Federal Government predicted heavy rains and floods in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The high-flood risk states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level.
Among these states are Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under the high-flood risk states.