The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari Monday (retd.), has welcomed the support of Rotary International towards Nigeria’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Buhari spoke on Monday in Abuja while receiving in audience Rotary International President, Shekhar Mehta, and some officials at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari seeks Rotary Club’s support for vaccination drive’.

The President thanked the organisation for various interventions in the health sector, particularly putting in $268m in the fight against Polio saying,“Nigeria has benefitted from your kind support, most particularly in the fight against Polio, with a total sum of $268 million provided by Rotary International. For this, I say thank you.”

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Earlier, Mehta hadexpressed his organisation’s readiness to assist Nigeria in the COVID-19 vaccination just as it did in eradicating polio from the country.

Mehta spoke during his visit to Abuja for the inauguration of girl child projects at Internally Displaced Persons Camp also for the special polio immunisation.

He said the organisation helped Nigeria in the war against polio and would also be joining forces to make sure that Nigerians are vaccinated against COVID-19.

He said, “For 35 years, we helped with polio vaccination and now, we are ready to help with the COVID vaccination.

“I will be meeting with the health minister here and we will reiterate our stance and decision to them that Rotarians are ready to help.”

Mehta also spoke on the organisation’s commitment towards the girl child.

He said, “One of our missions this year was centred on the girl child, empowering girls and even today in most parts of the world, you see that girls are being discriminated against which is not good.

“The girl child deserves opportunities. There are projects such as provision of scholarships because we believe in education for the girl child.”

Also speaking at the event, the District Governor, Rotary Club 9125, Ayoola Oyedokun, said the organisation chose the IDP camp especially for empowerment of the girl-child.