Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, OON, CON, the First Lady of Nigeria and Chairperson of Renewed Hope Initiative, has fulfilled her commitment to support healthcare initiatives for Nigerians abroad. She donated $100,000 to the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization, Sierra Leone Chapter (NIDO, SL), as stated in a press release by the organization. This donation represents her promise to contribute to the establishment of a top-tier medical facility for Nigerian expatriates in Sierra Leone. Engineer Abiodun Oyebola, the President of NIDO in Sierra Leone, appealed for her assistance citing the urgent need for improved healthcare infrastructure in the country.
The NIDO MEDICAL CENTRE when completed and becomes operational will go a long way to address the medical needs of over 40,000 Nigerians living in Sierra Leone, and will no doubt complement the efforts of His Excellency, President Julis Maada Bio in closing the gaps in the health sector.
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Nigeria’s First Lady met with a cross-section of members of the Nigerians in Diaspora, Sierra Leone on Sunday, November 19, 2023, during her visit to the country as the Special Guest of Honour to the commemoration of UN World Day, hosted by Her Excellency, Dr. Fatima Bio, the First lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation NIDO Sierra Leone SL was formed pursuant to a directive by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NIDCOM in Abuja, headed by Hon Abike Dabiri.
Honorable Dabiri-Erewa demonstrated her characteristic professionalism by playing a pivotal role in coordinating a meeting from Abuja. This meeting provided a platform for Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to engage with and inform Nigerians in Sierra Leone about the significant efforts being made by her husband, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, to rejuvenate the country’s economy.
The meeting was undeniably a tremendous success. Attendees, including executive members, Patrons, and members of the Board of Trustees of NIDO SL, led by President Abiodun Oyebola, had the opportunity to interact directly with Her Excellency, the First Lady.
They received firsthand information and clarifications on various topics including the economy, security, and social development.
The generous donation was made by the Renewed Hope Initiative, the humanitarian project spearheaded by Her Excellency, Senator Tinubu. This contribution significantly boosts efforts to address challenges faced by Nigerians in Sierra Leone, particularly in the healthcare sector.
Recall that Sierra Leone is still grappling with the consequences of the 11-year brutal civil war that destroyed all national social infrastructure. Just as the government is struggling to reinstate the health and educational infrastructure, it recorded a big setback with the outbreak of the Ebola virus which ravaged the country from 2014 to early 2016 and killed over 4,000 people in the country.
This was further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020 to 2022.
Massive support for the government and people in Sierra Leone in rebuilding the health sector is therefore a matter of very imperative concern.
Some of these efforts are seen in the establishment of various private hospitals like Choithram Hospital (owned and managed by the Indians), Life Care Hospital (owned and managed by the Arabs), and The Chinese Hospital (owned and managed by the Chinese). As expected, these medical establishments naturally give priority to their nationals in the country while at the same time being open to the general public without any particular bias.
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Sierra Leone Chapter remains a trailblazer among the various NIDO chapters all over the world. NIDO Sierra Leone is the first to organise the largest single gathering of Nigerians abroad under one roof during the inauguration of President Abiodun Oyebola and his executives on July 6, 2019, where over 4, 500 Nigerians gathered to celebrate our national unity. This remains the largest gathering to date.
Similarly, the NIDO MEDICAL CENTRE, a project for non-profit, is the first of its kind in the diaspora. It is therefore not surprising that NIDO Sierra Leone is the First Chapter to formally receive and have in audience our dear First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who coincidentally was in Sierra Leone on her very first official trip outside Nigeria and in her capacity as the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
