The Federal Government has received a grant of €32 million Euros from Germany to fight polio. The grant is contained in the Phase V Financing Project Agreement signed by Nigeria and Germany on Thursday in Abuja.
A German Bank, KFW, is providing the fund for the implementation of the polio programme and another 5 million Euros for security.
Speaking at the signing ceremony which was coordinated by the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri, Charge de Affairs at the Germany Embassy, Klemens Moemkes, said the assistance was part of his country’s efforts toward ensuring total eradication of polio in the country.
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Ado Mohammad signed on behalf of Nigerian Government while and Dr. Weth Wolfgang, the Programme Manager, KFW bank, signed for Germany.
Mr. Moemkes said, “We are making available for this phase of the programme a total of 37million and around 32million only for the implementation programme and 5million for security programme. During the first three stages of the programme, the main target is children under five years,” he said.
The acting Foreign Minister, Prof Onwuliri in her remarks, said the agreement is expected to facilitate the release of €35.5milion by KFW of German to assist Nigeria to bridge the critical resource gap in our fight against polio.
In 2012, she recalled, that the country also signed a similar agreement to the tune of €17.5million with the same bank to finance three critical immunization programmes.
The total assistance by Germany through the KFW would exceed €88million.
She informed her guest that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was very appreciative of the contribution of the Germans. She also said, Nigeria will be receiving the certificate of clean health bill in Guinea worm from the World Health Organisation (WHO) by December this year.
On the agreement, the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Ado said, “The support today is to the tune of €31.5million that is to bridge the funding gap we have been talking about. This is the fifth phase of the support we have received from Germany. Between 2003 -2012, we received to the tune of €40million for phase1-3. For the phase4, we received €15million.
“Almost all part of the country is polio free. Of the 774 LGA, not more than 16 LGAs constitute the major challenge. Also, the federal government has budgeted $30million annually to the fight against polio. The German support is coming to compliment the efforts of the federal government”.
