The Federal Republic of Germany and Nigeria has signed a €29.9 million agreement in support of polio eradication programme in the country, a statement has said.
Mr Saadu Salahu, Head, Public Relation Unit, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), made this known in a statement issued on Saturday, December 23, 2017 in Abuja.
Salahu said the agreement was the ninth of such financial agreement and support for polio eradication in Nigeria by Germany.
He said the agreement was signed in Abuja by Ms Regine Hess, the Deputy Head of mission for Germany in Nigeria;
Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign affairs, and Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of NPHCDA.
The statement quoted Onyeama expressing delight over the age-long warm relationship between the two countries and their leaders in particular.
The minister commended the German Government for its huge support to Nigeria, not only on polio eradication but also other equally important sectors in Nigeria.
He recalled various concerted efforts by the Nigerian Government to eradicate polio and expressed Federal Government’s appreciation to WHO, UNICEF, Germany and other partners towards making Nigeria polio free.
The statement also quoted Hess expressing joy over her country’s sustained support for polio eradication in Nigeria.
She expressed optimism that Nigeria would soon join the rest of the world as polio free nation.
Responding, Shuaib highlighted the huge financial commitments of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to polio eradication in Nigeria.
The executive director disclosed that in 2016 Nigeria committed N9.8 billion; it earmarked N4.2 billion in 2017 and N4.1 billion for 2018 for polio eradication programmes.
He therefore expressed profound appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany and other development partners for their continued support to polio eradication in Nigeria.
By Mustapha Yauri
