LAGOS/Nigeria: A United States-based charity, Azuka and Ify Foundation, has donated 3,000 packs of multiple micronutrient supplements to the Lagos State government for distribution to pregnant women across its local government areas.
Each pack contains 180 tablets and is part of the Foundation’s initiative to enhance maternal health through the free provision of essential prenatal vitamins. Speaking at the handover ceremony held at the Lagos State Ministry of Health in Alausa, Ikeja, the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Dr. Victor Azuka Ubani, described the project as a crucial step in improving healthcare for mothers and unborn children.
“Supporting motherhood with essential nutrition is one of our core goals,” Dr. Ubani said. “This exercise will be extended to other states in Nigeria, particularly Delta State. Our aim is to distribute 10,000 bottles of prenatal vitamins to pregnant women as part of our commitment to bolstering Nigeria’s healthcare system.”
Dr. Ubani appealed to the government to create a conducive environment for foundations and NGOs to contribute to the country’s health sector. “We urge other individuals and organizations in the diaspora to emulate this gesture and invest in Nigeria’s development,” he added.
Dr. Ubani was accompanied by his wife and co-founder, Dr. Joy Ifeyinwa Ubani, a certified nurse and matron based in Atlanta, USA. She emphasized the Foundation’s commitment to reducing maternal mortality.
“As a mother and healthcare professional, I understand the challenges women face during pregnancy. This donation is our way of supporting maternal health and ensuring the well-being of mothers and their unborn children,” she said. “We remain passionate about improving the welfare of women in our society and will continue to collaborate with the government to enhance healthcare in Nigeria.”
Receiving the items, Dr. (Mrs.) Oludara Folashade, Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, expressed gratitude to the Foundation. She noted that the supplements had been a key part of the state’s healthcare program but had recently run out of stock.
“We thank Azuka and Ify Foundation for this timely intervention,” Dr. Folashade said. “We encourage more support of this nature to sustain our healthcare programs.”
A representative of Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Presidential Adviser on Diaspora Affairs, Dipo Odebowale, commended the Foundation’s efforts and called on Nigerians in the diaspora to contribute to national development.
The event’s highlight was the symbolic presentation of a pack of the supplements to a pregnant woman at the Alausa Secretariat, underscoring the program’s immediate impact.
Azuka and Ify Foundation reaffirmed its dedication to societal development and its resolve to partner with governments to deliver quality healthcare to Nigerians.
