Top Nigerian celebrities including
Toolz, Ali Nuhu, Waje, Yemi Alade, and Hon. 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 as it prepares
to finalise the 2017 budget.
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.”
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.
Speaking at a press parley earlier in
the week, 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.
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