Members of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Delta State Chapter have indicated interest in partnering with the Ned Nwoko Foundation in its Eradicate Malaria in Africa Project. The Foundation is a non-governmental organization.
This was made known at the weekend when the Chairperson of the Association Comrade Gbemudu led a team of her officials on a courtesy visit to Prince Ned Nwoko’s country home popularly known as Mount Ned at Idumuje Ugboko in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
In her speech, the NAWOJ boss said her Association had observed closely the activities of Hon. Ned Nwoko as a lawyer, politician and philanthropist, and were particularly impressed with the Eradicate Malaria in Africa Project being championed by his Foundation.
The Chairperson stated that the project was in line with the DELTA MUST BE CLEAN mantra of Delta NAWOJ. according to Comrade Gbemudu, “part of the vision of NAWOJ’s founders is to preserve the right of the public to know the truth, which informed the Association’s advocacy programmes such as DELTA MUST BE CLEAN where they emphasize on preventing the breed of disease-causing insects and rodents, which thrive in dirty environments, the KNOW YOUR GENOTYPE campaign and the campaign against RAPE & SEXUAL BASED VIOLENCE among others.
The NAWOJ chieftain frowned at the ” kids glove” manner Africans in general handled issues relating to Malaria even when many continued to die of the disease. She emphasized the need to intensify efforts to ensure that malaria is eradicated completely from the African continent.
According to her, NAWOJ has been behind the scene, supporting efforts of the Ned Nwoko Foundation in its fight to eradicate malaria especially with the Association’s solidarity banners and jingles in the media space. She remarked that the visit was to officially intimate Prince Ned Nwoko about what they had been doing and to find out other areas the Association could collaborate with the Foundation in the campaign against malaria.
In his response, Hon. Nwoko commended NAWOJ for its advocacy programmes especially the DELTA MUST BE CLEAN campaign, stressing that if everyone kept his environment clean, mosquitoes would not breed. He disclosed that his Foundation was supporting the existing efforts of vaccine development by funding a research for the anti-malaria vaccine through partnership with leading universities in Africa.
A clinical trial of the vaccine, according to him, would have started if not for the Covid-19 pandemic, just as he stated that his passion to see the end of malaria in Africa took him and some members of his team to South Pole, Antarctica for the malaria awareness campaign. He was told in Antarctica during his tour that he was the only Nigerian that had ever made it to that cold region of the world.
Prince Nwoko, reputed for his philanthropic gestures; also told his guests that birthing the idea of the Eradicate Malaria in Africa Project stemmed from the realisation that his home town Idumuje-Ugboko was about a hundred feet above sea level and did not have mosquitoes in spite of the environment.
As part of the measures to kick start the Eradicate Malaria project, Nwoko disclosed that in the next few months, his Foundation would look into placing waste management plants in the different senatorial districts of Delta State, pointing out that the move would generate revenue and create employment in the state.
The women journalists did not just discuss during the visit with the lawyer – politician but had the privilege of being conducted round the entire Mount Ned environment where they saw water fountain, underground tunnel, uniquely designed Olympic swimming pool, pyramid, ping pong and billiard tables, lawn tennis court and a tower that tested the physical fitness of the visitors.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/nawoj-seek-partnership-with-ned-nwoko-on-malaria-eradication/
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