Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has commended the partnership between Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and the Global Citizen, in setting up a new funding vehicle, ‘the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund’ (NSSF), that will provide immediate support to the most vulnerable communities in the fight against COVID-19.
Prof. Osinbajo who lauded the collaboration while he spoke during the Virtual Media Unveiling of the support fund on Thursday noted that the Coronavirus outbreak has posed severe challenges to the Federal Government, prompting the institution of various measures intended to contain its spread as well as its impact on citizens.
Osinbajo observed that more support is however needed given the unprecedented nature of the global pandemic, both in its impact and severity.
His words, “It is clear that this is a challenge that the public sector cannot tackle alone. The virus can only be defeated through carefully coordination and collaborative efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact is unprecedented; and so too is the desire for Nigerians both at home and abroad who have rallied to help one another and stand in solidarity against this deadly virus,” the Vice President said.
He reiterated that this stakeholder led-and-resourced mechanism will provide both flexible and rapid response resources to accelerate ongoing efforts to respond to COVID-19 in communities across Nigeria, as well as to strengthen health systems in the aftermath of the acute pandemic response.
The Vice President, who joined the event from his office, reassured Global Citizen, NSIA and other stakeholders that the collaborative efforts will yield the expected results as they work towards combating the disease.
The virtual media event, hosted by the NSIA and chaired by the Vice President, also had the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, in attendance.
Others present at event moderated by ace media personality, Kadaria Ahmed, included the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NSIA, Mr.
Jide Zeitlin, and the Managing Director, Mr. Uche Orji, with Global Citizen represented by the Chairman of Global Citizen Nigeria, Mr. Babatunde Folawiyo, and the Vice-Chairman, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
