Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of PSHAN, Dr Tinuola Akinbolagbe, said she was glad that the signing ceremony came to fruition as a lot of work has gone into making a reality.
“In implementing this nationwide programme, PSHAN and MTN Foundation play pivotal roles, showcasing a collaborative approach to healthcare improvement in Nigeria. MTN Foundation’s commitment to 52 selected PHCs across Nigeria underscores their commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services across all geopolitical zones.”
Akinbolagbe said that the partnership is an opportunity to highlight the best of private public sector partnership in improving healthcare outcomes in Nigeria.
On her part, the Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, said the signing ceremony is historical because two organisations came together to push sustainable ideas.
She, however, said MTN Foundation partnership with PSHAN started in 2015 and it is MTN Foundation give back initiative.
“This is our fifth outing, what makes this unique is the partnership and what we are doing. We are remodeling 52 PHCs.”
She disclosed that the Foundation would be delivering 40 of the 52 PHCs through What We Can Do Together Initiative while the balance 12 would be executed through Emergency Relief Clean Up project.
According to Sanya, the PHCs’ structures would be remodeled to a befitting one aside providing equipment, medication, alternative power and employment of some key personnel.
She revealed that over N2.2b is being committed by MTN Foundation to finance the projects.
She added that the project is driving sustainable in the health sector and there is no better partnership than PSHAN.
She further said that every state will have atleast a PHC remodeled under the intervention, with all the 52 PHCs delivered by June 2024.
She disclosed that many Nigerians nominated PHCs not in their communities for remodeling but only 40 were picked in this phase for renovation after 200 PHCs was visited for assessment.
A Director of PSHAN, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, thanked MTN for its social investment, saying the telecom has been a flag bearer.
He further said that PHC is the answer to Nigeria’s healthcare challenges, nothing that the problem with PHCs providing adequate care is not in the number as there are ovwr 30,000 PHCs in Nigeria, but the sustainability, which is the where private sector comes in.
Also commenting, the Chairman, MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, who said the foundation is 20 years this year, revealed that over N28b has been spent so far by MTN Foundation on social investment across Nigeria.
“This is a defining moment in the life of the foundation. The Nigeria situation is such that when a project is done, a year after it does not exist because of lack of sustainability.The foundation is happy with PSHAN because of its team.”
