Top celebrities charge Nigeria to Make Naija Stronger

                                                                         Elliot

As the Nigeria government prepares to finalise the 2017 budget, top Nigerian celebrities, Toolz, Ali Nuhu, Waje, Yemi Alade, and Desmond Elliot, have come together through the theme, Make Naija Stronger, under the umbrella of the renowned ONE campaign to urge the government to adhere to its commitment to the 2001 African Union Abuja Commitment.

Fifteen years ago, all African governments made a commitment in Abuja to increase health funding to 15% of their budgets. However, the commitment has never been met by the Nigerian government, and only 4.37% of the 2016 budget was allocated to health.

“As a proud and patriotic Nigerian, it’s particularly distressing to me that our country is suffering from a silent killer, health crisis, which is completely avoidable,” says A-list singer, Waje. “It’s time to act, Naija. We must come together with one voice and tell our government to do more by investing in the health of our children and families. By doing so, we’ll Make Naija Stronger.”

Ali Nuhu, a household name in Kannywood, added his voice to the call, saying, “Enough is enough! This is the message we are sending to government. A healthy Nigeria makes a wealthy Nigeria and we need to stand together to Make Naija Stronger. Now it’s your turn. If you haven’t added your voice to ask for our nation’s health system to be made better, you need to do so right now.”

Also adding her voice, Johnny singer, Yemi Alade, made a call to the grassroots, saying, “Make all of una join voice to tell our government say make dem put correct money for our health matter so that all the pikin and mama wey dey die unnecessarily for Naija go stop.”

The celebrities all spoke at the launch of the ONE campaign’s new public service announcement video which features the stellar lineup calling for urgent action to invest in public health.

Nachilala Nkombo, ONE Africa deputy director, disclosed that “while other African countries are improving their health indicators, inconsistent and and insufficient health funding in Nigeria over the years has made access to basic life saving health services a luxury for ordinary Nigerians.

“The executive and legislative arms of government can change this permanently by ensuring that the 2017 will give the appropriate priority to the health sector. At the ONE campaign, we are committed to working in partnership with local groups to ensure that any health funding allocated in the budget is monitored to ensure that it reaches the neediest citizens,” she added.