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Tag: malaria

  • Firm rewards winners in malaria essay competition

    Firm rewards winners in malaria essay competition

    RAVIMAL Essay competition organised by Miral Pharm Ltd has come to a successful close.

    According to the project coordinator, Ravimal End Malaria for Good essay competition, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugo-Amadi, the essays were assessed based on their ingenuity, structure, insightfulness, content and language style and creativity by Dr Jane Ifechelobi of the Department of English and Dr Obinna Ifechelobi of the Dept of Clinical Pharmacy, both of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.

    The award ceremony which took place at NAU, Awka had in attendance the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria who doubles as the Consul- General of Pakistan to Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai, the National Secretary, Pharm. Gbolagade Iyiola, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone and several other dignitaries.

    Three star prizes and over  20 consolation prizes were presented. The star prizes include: First position, one year scholarship (N100,000) plus a factory visit to India; second, one year scholarship (N100,000) plus a laptop computer; and the third position, one year scholarship (N100,000).

    The first prize went to Victor Aniagu of the Department of Applied Biochemistry. The second prize went to Asomba Chinonso of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering and Friday Chizurum of the Faculty of Medicine

    Chairman of the occasion, GMD, Krisoral Group of Companies, Chief Chris Oranu Chidume said Miral Pharm is taking a road less traveled by calling for essays. He also praised Miral for the new approach taken at uncovering executable ideas that will move the country closer to victory in the war against malaria. He called Ravimal a best in class product well positioned for treatment of malaria.

    Managing Director, Miral Pharm Ltd, Mr. Onyeka Onyeibor said  Ravimal ‘End Malaria for good’ Essay is a deliberate search for ideas, “ending malaria is an achievable and a worthwhile pursuit – saving 1000 lives daily.”

    Yakasai, who presented the award to the star prize winner, Victor Aniagu,praised the efforts of Miral Pharm in the war against malaria and the drive to continue to support the development of youths and education in Nigeria.

    He said that National Universities Commission has approved to work with Miral Pharm and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at making this competition an annual National Event with the aim of bringing out the best in Nigerian students.

  • Mortein, ministries join forces against malaria

    Mortein, ministries join forces against malaria

    General Manager, Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria/West Africa, makers of Mortein  insecticide, Mr. Rahul Murgai, has said community engagement is the best way to eliminate malaria.

    He said that was why his company was collaborating through its consumer engagement activities to stem the prevalence of malaria in Nigeria and Africa. He said the partnership with states and Federal Government, which has been on-going for years, also demonstrated the company’s commitment to the anti-malaria fight in Nigeria.

    He said:“At Reckitt Benckiser, our global vision is to have a world where people are healthier and live better. In achieving this, we will continue to make a difference by giving people innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes. We know that regular combined interventions of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs), Larviciding and insecticide use like Mortein is the solution to achieving a malaria-free Nigeria.  Therefore, to protect our children and ourselves from getting sick, the first thing to do is to educate ourselves about prevention.”

    “That is why going with the global theme: One Act Against Malaria” RB has joined forces with the Lagos, Ogun and Abia state governments and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) Abuja, to upscale action for the elimination of malaria in Nigeria through community engagement, continued investment and sustained efforts. We localised ours to be: theme: One Act Against Malaria,” said Murgai.

    The company’s Marketing Director, West Africa, Leferink Aliza, said:“Through the grassroots community engagement, we educate communities on the importance of hygiene, and how the simple habit of maintaining clean surroundings and drainages can significantly help to reduce malaria.

    According to Aliza, there are an estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths yearly in Nigeria, mostly among children under the age of five. “Malaria is preventable and we have made it our fight to educate on how to protect the most vulnerable – pregnant women and children and their families against Malaria. This has also leveraged the Clean Healthy Naija programme which RB is leading across various platforms especially for preventable diseases’’.

    Reiterating Mortein’s commitment to eradicating malaria, Marketing Manager, Mortein, Reckitt Benckiser West Africa, Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi Omotola, said Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against malaria in Nigeria.

    “In the past few years, Mortein has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH) and various state ministries of health to foster education on malaria prevention via TV infomercials, Education at primary healthcare centres and the Mortein Own a Community Project which has been well executed across all LGA’s in Lagos State. We intend to take this a step further by having doctors in markets to do free Malaria test and consultation in cities of high prevalence across the country.

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said this year’s campaign aims at drawing significant attention to the need to totally eradicate the malaria scourge in the country.

    He commended Mortein for its work and continuous support in the fight against malaria through its collaboration with the government. He therefore pledged the Federal government’s commitment to work with RB/ Mortein to ensure total eradication of malaria in the country by imploring everyone to do acts against malaria in their community.

    The Commissioners for health in Lagos, Ogun and Abia States also commended Mortein for teaming up with their respective State governments in the fight against malaria.

  • Firm partners Lagos, Ogun against malaria

    Firm partners Lagos, Ogun against malaria

    Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Nigeria, makers of Mortein insecticide, has partnered the Lagos, Ogun and Abia State governments to fight malaria.

    At a news conference to mark the World Malaria Day, General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai, said the partnership is to improve action in the fight against malaria, through community engagement, continued investment and sustained efforts.

    According to him, the environmental sanitation, free tests and consultations in markets, were to sensitise residents on the benefits of maintaining clean environments.

    He noted that the partnership demonstrates RB’s commitment to the anti-malaria fight.

    “At RB, our global vision is to have a world where people are healthier and live better. In achieving this, we will continue to make a difference by giving people innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes. We know that regular combined interventions of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs), Larviciding and insecticide use, like Mortein, is the solution to achieving a Malaria-free Nigeria.  “Therefore, to protect our children and ourselves from getting sick, the first thing to do is to educate ourselves about prevention.”

    Marketing Director, RB West Africa Leferink Aliza said through the grassroots community engagement, residents are sensitised on the importance of hygiene, and how the simple habit of maintaining clean surroundings and drainages can reduce malaria.

    According to Aliza, there is an estimated 100 million malaria cases, with over 300,000 deaths, yearly in Nigeria, mostly among children under the age of five.

    “Malaria is preventable and we have made it our fight to advocate protection, especially for the most vulnerable – pregnant women and children – and their families, against Malaria. This has also leveraged on the Clean Healthy Naija program which RB is leading across various platforms, especially for preventable diseases,” she said.

    Marketing Manager Omotola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi said Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against Malaria. “In the past few years, Mortein has partnered the Federal Ministry of Health, through the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH) and various state ministries of health, to foster education on malaria prevention via TV infomercials, education at primary healthcare centers, and Mortein’s ‘Own a Community Project’.

    “We intend to take this a step further by having free malaria test and consultations in markets of cities with high prevalence,” she added.

     

  • Akeredolu decries loss of lives to malaria

    Akeredolu decries loss of lives to malaria

    Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has lamented the unnecessary loss of lives to malaria in Nigeria, describing the situation as unfortunate. Akeredolu made this known during an advocacy visit on Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) replacement campaign by Catholic Relief Services Nigeria (CRS) in conjunction with National Malaria Elimination Project, in Akure.
    “We can refer to malaria as simple, but the records of death prove otherwise, it shows malaria has become a big scourge because it kills more than Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A number of times, we concentrate more on other diseases, hence it gets pronounced. The malaria project is worthy of our continued indebtedness as a people to you,” the Governor said.
    He also decried the commercialisation of the LLIN by the people employed for its free distribution and appreciated the efforts of the Catholic Church, which he said, always went for quality in their projects. “A lot is expected from us, and we will do our best since you have also assisted us,” he said.
    Earlier, Rebecca Bassey, Country representative, CRS, said over N2.5 billion worth of LLIN would be distributed in the State. “It has started arriving. This year, NMEP, CRS and federal Ministry of Health will oversee the distribution of 2.9 million LLIN in Ondo State starting from September with the aim to replace over 1.5 million nets distributed in 2012.
    “Use of LLIN has been proven to reduce contact of mosquitoes with human beings and mass campaigns are used to ensure that they reach the beneficiaries within a short period. The roles and responsibilities of the state include ownership and active participation, coordination of campaign implementation at State level, resource mobilisation to fill gap, conducive environment(security and safety), and recruitment of campaign personnel,” she said.

  • Malaria: Lagos records 1.2m cases in 2016 – Commissioner

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was committed to ensuring the control of malaria, as it was endemic in the state and affected human development.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who made the assertion at the 5th “Doctors Discuss Malaria’’ Progamme, in Lagos, said the state recorded 1, 199, 002 cases in 2016.

    According to Idris, represented by Dr Rebecca Ayorinde, Assistant Programme Coordinator, Lagos State Malaria Elimination Prevention, the cases of malaria were documented through routine data collection processes.

    The event, which has the theme, “Maternal Health and Malaria Priority Access for Women’’, was to commemorate the 2017 World Malaria Day 2017.

    Idris said: “Malaria is endemic in Lagos State.

    “It poses major challenges to the state as it impedes human development.

    “It is both a cause and consequence of under-development and remains one of the leading causes of morbidity in the state.

    “The cosmopolitan nature of the state, coupled with people’s behaviour and the abundant distribution of coastal areas, encourage the availability of stagnant water for the breeding of anopheles mosquitoes.

    “This is responsible for the stable pattern and continuous transmission of malaria all year round.

    “Malaria therefore remains a priority disease and the state government will continue to demonstrate its commitment to its control’’.

    Idris said the government was tackling the scourge of malaria through some preventive measures that included environmental management and integrated vector control.

    “Others are monitoring and evaluation with emphasis on operational research and the use of its results for evidence-based programming.

    “Lagos State Ministry of Health provides Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets to pregnant women at antenatal clinic booking and children under the age of five years.

    “It also provides Sulpahdoxine Pyrimethamine for the Intermittent Prevention of Malaria in Pregnancy (IPTp) in antenatal clinics.

    “Also, the state conducts Indoor Residual Spraying and Larviciding in selected local governments in the state,’’ he said.

    Idris said that the routine data collected from the private health sector in 2016 showed that 56 per cent of pregnant women received at least one dose of IPTp.

    “About 93 per cent of confirmed cases received appropriate treatment for malaria and 74 per cent of persons with fever received a parasitological test.

    “These statistics show there is still a lot to be done to increase access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in the state,’’ he said.

    The commissioner advised that all fever cases be tested for malaria before treatment.

    “It is important to test before treatment, a policy by the Federal Ministry of Health, which states that all fever cases should be tested and confirmed before treatment,’’ he said.

    Contributing, Prof. Akin Osibogun said that in spite of the progress and improvement in malaria prevention globally, it still remained a major concern to public health.

    Osibogun, a former Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, said that 92 per cent of deaths in Africa were as a result of malaria.

    On the effects of malaria on maternal health, he said: “Most times, pregnant women and children are at higher risk of malaria, particularly pregnant woman because of their weak immunity.

    “Malaria in pregnant woman can lead to preterm babies or even still birth babies.

    “The foetus gets most of the nutrition through the placenta but once the placenta is affected by malaria parasites it leads to reduction of the foetus; this causes low birth weight in the babies.’’

    On some prevention strategies, Osibogun said: “According to WHO, the new guidelines says that pregnant women should have IPtp till delivery.

    “The usage of Long Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) must be used regularly by pregnant women and children.

    “It is also important to control the vector that transmits malaria, which is mosquito, by making sure there is no stagnant water in the environment.

    “The critical strategy to prevent malaria in pregnant woman is to increase the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets and indoor spraying with insecticides,’’ Osibogun said.

    In her remarks, Dr Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, the convener of “Doctors Discuss Malaria’’ said that preventing malaria in pregnancy was critical to elevating health and welfare of Nigerian families.

    She said that the training of doctors and nurses was also critical to end the scourge of malaria.

    “A lot of this responsibility is on us as doctors to understand how to break the malaria cycle.

    “We must be able to recognise and treat malaria and propagating testing before treating.

    “Over the past years, we have trained a total of 1,542 doctors on the management of malaria.

    “This is aimed at creating a strong health system of which the human resource is of great importance to offer access to prevent new cases and ensure lifesaving treatment for patients,’’ Ayo-Oyalowo said.

  • How to win war against malaria, by don

    How to win war against malaria, by don

    ‘We must dedicate ourselves to cost effective healthcare that focuses on clear goals and produces measurable results. Government health policies should exhibit continuity for sustainable performance’

    A professor of Parasitology, Comfort Adejoke Ibidapo, has

    said the fight against malaria could only be substantially attained by eliminating mosquitoes-breeding points.

    According to her, it is often difficult to get rid of malaria because parasites have developed resistance.

    She said: “They (mosquitoes) also change their code so that the host’s immunity will not be able to eject them.’’

    Ibidapo, who delivered the 61st inaugural lecture of the Lagos State University (LASU) entitled: Man against parasites: An endless battle, said because most of the control methods against malaria have failed, the strategy is to clear stagnant water and gutters which are mosquitoes-breeding grounds.

    “Those days when health inspectors used to clean the gutters should come back. Then they would kill the mosquitoes before they mature so that it would reduce the number of adults they have,” she said.

    She also said since economic development helps in improving the overall health status of the populace, it becomes necessary to integrate health financing interventions into all other programmes.

    “We must dedicate ourselves to cost-effective healthcare that focuses on clear goals and produces measurable results. The government health policies should exhibit continuity for sustainable performance.

    “A national programme of neglected tropical disease control and elimination, coupled with increased access to clean water and sanitation, would simultaneously serve to strenghten health systems in many parts of Nigerian states. In parallel with expanded disease control and elimination efforts, Nigeria’s best universities and research institutes must expand their research and training capacity for NTDs, ” she said.

    She advised that there should be use of mass drug administration for the control of neglected tropical disease or preventive chemotherapy, saying it would result in the control or total elimination of these diseases. “The administration of albendazole and mebendazole would impact positively on school performance and the diseases burden of soil transmitted helminthes,” she said.

    The don said through improvements in child growth, intellect and cognition, pregnancy outcome and worker productivity, there would be a Nigeria free from the high prevalence of NTDs, adding that this could accelerate the nation’s economic development.

    “Through expansion in integrated NDT control and disease elimination, Nigeria should become an important model for all of Africa,” she added.

  • U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has presented over 2.2 million treated mosquito nets to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for distribution to the residents of the state.

    The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the nets, valued at 5.5 million dollars, would be distributed in the 21 local government areas of the state.

    It quoted USAID’s Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Nancy Lowenthal, as saying that U.S. also provided an additional 1.1 million dollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training.

    Lowenthal said the nets and support for the distribution were a gift from the American people to the people of Kogi.

    The director said that the U.S. was supporting the efforts of the government and people of Kogi to protect the health of all, particularly the young and most vulnerable members of society.

    “I believe that eliminating malaria in Kogi and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together,” she said.

    According to her, malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases.

    She said sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night was the best way to prevent malaria.

    “Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn.

    “Nightly use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria.

    “Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million dollars to control malaria in Nigeria.

    “Over 50 per cent of U.S. government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines,” she said.

    Lowenthal said that the U.S. government supported advocacy and mobilisation to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, training of health workers, and test for malaria before treatment.

  • A new way to fight malaria

    A new way to fight malaria

    A social behaviour change organisation, Centre for Communications Programmes Nigeria (CCNP), is tackling malaria by using movies to educate schoolchildren, reports SEUN AKIOYE

    Junior Secondary School 1 pupils of Government Junior Secondary School Jabi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, claimed to know a lot about malaria and the mosquitoes that transmit it until a simple question threw everyone, including the teachers, off balance.

    Adenike Ayodeke, a programme officer with the Centre for Communications Programmes Nigeria (CCPN)-an organisation trying to change social behaviour through effective communication-had asked if the students knew anything about malaria and over 300 voices replied in the affirmative.

    Then she asked the tricky question: “Do mosquitoes breed in dirty water?”

    Many of the students quickly answered in the affirmative; to many, it made perfect sense that mosquitoes should breed in the dirty stinking water. However, the Executive Director, CCPN, Mrs Babafunke Fagbemi, disagreed.

    “The female anopheles mosquitoes which carry the malaria virus do not like dirty water, they breed in clean water, that is why it is important not to leave any water uncovered or if there are disused tires with water inside around your house, or rain water you have collected must all be covered because that is where the mosquitoes are breeding,” she explained.

    The global body, World Health Organisation (WHO) says its theme for this year’s World Malaria Day, “End Malaria for Good,” reflects the vision of a malaria-free world set out in the “Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030.”  The strategy which was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015 aims to “dramatically” lower the global malaria burden in ambitious but attainable goals over the next 15 years.

    The WHO says there has been a major decline in the global malaria death rate since the 2000 but there are still significant challenges with about 3.2billion people still at risk of malaria. In 2015 alone, there was an estimated 214 million new cases of malaria and 438,000 deaths mainly in the sub-Saharan Africa with millions of people not able to access the services they need for preventing malaria.

    The World Malaria Day which was set aside by the WHO is a veritable tool to continue to raise awareness on the dangers of malaria and its killing potentials especially in Africa and new investments for malaria control will have to triple from current levels to about $8.7billion annually according to the WHO.

    This year’s celebration was marked in Nigeria with speeches and awareness campaign by both government agencies and not for profit organisations.  But according to Fagbemi, the CCPN has keyed into the vision for Nigeria which is “ For malaria free Nigeria, play your part.”

    “We want to let everyone know they can play a part and that resonates with us in Nigeria because our national brand for the malaria world day is “for a malaria free Nigeria, play your parts.” Everyone including school children can play a part. Eradicating malaria is not a medical or technical issue, it is a social issue and changing behaviour is a complex thing and once people are used to a particular behaviour it is hard to change.

    “It is not easy to tell a family that you have to buy a net and start sleeping under a mosquito net, it takes time for people to change their mind-set and that is why we are here, but a lot of companies and organisations have been doing a lot like ours are embarking on social behaviour change campaign and getting people to address the roots of this social myth.

    “We come to schools because children are change agents, they are the leaders of tomorrow and once you catch them young you can make a lot of things happen,” Fagbemi said.

    It was a very emotional time for the students as they watched Newman Street, a television season programme produced by CCPN. It was a story of baby Tsav who had malaria but died due to the ignorance of Chongo and his wife Kirot. Chongo blamed his wife initially, and then blamed the hospital for killing his son.

    It was a simple message told in agonising pictures, but the core message which was to seek prompt hospital treatment as soon as one had malaria was one that sat well with the students. It was to influence Christopher Henry’s definition of malaria as the “disease that kills plenty people in the world.”

    It was time for questions and answers and over 10 students performed well in various questions fielded including that fact that mosquitoes do not transmit the Human Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (HIV).

    Some of the students also won insecticide treated nets which they promised to put to good use henceforth. “I used to be sick of malaria, but from today, I am going to be using this mosquito net, the one in the house was for my daddy and mummy,” Emmanuel Isaac said.

     

  • Navy pledges to fight malaria

    Navy pledges to fight malaria

    The Nigerian Navy has to pledged their support in the fight against malaria in the country.

    Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Calabar, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, who declared this support during a lecture to mark their Second Quarter Health Awareness Week pointed out that available record shows that one child dies every two minutes, and most of the cases were in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive.

    He said globally, 3.3billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria.

    The health week, which had as its theme “End Malaria for Good”, coincided with the World Malaria Day (WMD).

    He said the Command decided to key into the WMD and educate personnel in its Area of Responsibility (AOR) on malaria.

    The FOC said in line with the Nigerian Navy’s priority on health, the ENC through its health facilities routinely carries out activities that will promote healthy living among naval personnel and civilian staff under the command.

    Dr Mbang Kooffreh-Ada of the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), presented a lecture on the topic “Malaria Prevention Works: Let’s Close the Gap and End Malaria for Good.”

    Kooffreh-Ada said 97 per cent of Nigeria’s population is at risk of the disease.

    She said malaria is the leading cause of child death in the country, resulting in 250,000 children dying annually.

    “Malaria also accounts for 60 per cent of outpatient visits, 30 per cent of hospitalizations, 11 per cent of maternal mortality, and 10 per cent of low birth weight incidences,” she said.

  • Health tops US support for Nigeria

    Health tops US support for Nigeria

    Funding of health tops the United States ( US ) support for Nigeria in the grassroots and Non-Governmental Organisations.

    The Chief Information Officer of the United States Embassy, Nigeria, Mr. Russel Brooks stated this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the head office of The Nation Newspaper in Lagos.

    According to him, the US spends the great majority of it funds in dealing with health situations such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria; even the current Cerebrospinal Meningitis outbreak in the Northern region of the country.

    “We have organizations in Nigeria that are focused on intervening on health situations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development – USAID, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and also the Walter Reed medical centre.

    “In fact, the Walter Reed Medical Centre’s office located in Nigeria is currently the only one there is on this continent; this shows the importance that the U.S. places on Nigeria and the particular health problems that is prevalent here. Health is a major issues and it concerns the entire world, not just the United States and Nigeria. For that reason, it is so important to us,” Brooks said.

    He added that the US also partners with Nigeria in education where it continues to engage the people, especially those at the grassroots level.

    “EducationUSA is a department through which thousands of Nigerians get information about the possibility of studying in the United States – at the undergraduate, graduate level, and even community colleges. By taking advantage of that opportunities, and bringing back skills and information to the country, obviously, we are helping the development and future prosperity of Nigeria.

    Concerning Cultural/Academic exchange between the two countries, Mr. Russel spoke on the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), of which the Mandela Washington programme is an offshoot.

    “We have the Mandela Washington fellow, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, and some others. It is obvious that the US assistance here to Nigeria and its people is broad, varied, and extremely helpful. It contributes to the strong leadership that we have not just on a governmental level, but on a people to people level.

    “The Mandela Washington Programme is one that provides an opportunity for fellows from Africa to visit the United States each year and do a variety of things – attend academic institutes, colleges, and university. The Mandela Programme is only one component of YALI.

    “There are other programmes related to YALI that take place on this continent.  We have some leadership institutes here that help find internships for returning Mandela Washington fellows. We also look for opportunities to engage with corporations in businesses here on the continent.

    “Pertaining to the fellowship programmes, it is true that when administration changes, there is a possibility of a change in policy, but at the moment, there has not been a diminishment of our interest or support for the Mandela Programme. Thousands of Africans went for the programme last year, there are thousand going this year, and the largest number of Africans attending the programme comes from Nigeria. Slightly over a hundred Nigerians are going to participate in this programme.

    “We believe that it is a wonderful programme, and has paid tremendous dividends for Nigeria. Therefore, there is no reason to stop supporting the programme. The administrative change from Former President Obama to President Trump does not affect the programme.”

    Brooks was accompanied by the Deputy Public Affairs Officer of the agency, Mr. Frank Sellin, and Mr. Temitayo Famutimi, Information Specialist to the United States Consulate General, Lagos.

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