Rotary International has welcomed Emeka Ofor’s commitment of $5m dedicated to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in high-need areas of Nigeria.
Ofor is a Nigerian Rotary member and philanthropist who has committed $5 million through the ‘Sir Emeka Offor Foundation’ (SEOF) to The Rotary Foundation to expand and strengthen its healthcare initiative, according to a statement signed by Claudia Brunner, Media Specialist Officer, Rotary Europe and Africa Office.
Bunner quoted Ofor, founder of the SEOF and a member of the Rotary Club of Oraifite, District 9142, Nigeria, as saying: “Helping mothers and babies survive and thrive is among the greatest investments we can make in Nigeria’s future.”
Bunner thus said: “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.”
Nigeria is said to have 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. Recognizing this, the Rotary-led programme trains health workers, upgrades clinics, engages communities, and strengthens health data systems.
According to the statement, 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.
Mark Maloney, Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, stated: “This extraordinary commitment from the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation comes at a critical time in our member’s efforts to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria.”
He went on: “We deeply appreciate Ofor’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.”
According to the statement, 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, it went on, the scheme was the second programme to receive a Programs of Scale grant from The Rotary Foundation, an annual competitive process that awards $2 million to an evidence-based initiative driven by Rotary members with the capability for scaling up to help more people.
Offor is chairman of the Chrome Group, a Nigerian-based conglomerate with interests spanning oil and gas, insurance and finance, power and energy, telecommunications, logistics and port management, and travel and hospitality. A long-time Rotary member and supporter, he is said to be part of the ‘Arch C. Klumph Society’s Platinum Trustee Circle’, which is said to recognize contributions between $2.5 million and $4.99 million.
The statement said Ofor has donated over $3 million to ‘The Rotary Foundation’, supporting four of Rotary’s key areas of focus: peace and conflict management, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and polio eradication.
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In 2019, Bunner further stated, his leadership gift of $250,000 helped inspire the creation of Rotary’s first Peace Center in Africa, located at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. “He has also contributed more than $4 million to polio eradication efforts in Nigeria, making him the largest individual donor to this cause on the African continent. Among his many contributions, he funded the construction of a 1,600-seat Rotary Hall at the Rotary Centre Complex in Abuja, unveiled on 20 June 2020, at a cost exceeding ₦100 million.”
Rotary members throughout the world are said to develop and implement sustainable, community-driven projects that fight disease, promote peace, provide clean water, support education, help mothers and children, grow local economies and protect the environment. Over the last 100 years, US $5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful, impactful service.
The ‘Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF)’ is indicated as a charitable, non-governmental organization committed to promoting human capacity development and economic empowerment in Nigeria. Through initiatives in education, health, youth empowerment, and widows’ support, SEOF is said to seek to alleviate suffering and enable self-reliance among underserved populations.
The Foundation is known to have partnered with global organizations including Rotary International and Books for Africa to expand its impact. Learn more at sireofforfoundation.org.
Rotary boasts of bringing together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary is said to connect 1.2 million people of action from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service is said to improve lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
