The Super Eagles Supporters Club has struck a partnership agreement with Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation (PNNF) in a bid to eradicate malaria in Africa.
The International President of the Super Supporters Club, Prince Vincent Okumagba in a Press Conference on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 in Garoua, revealed that the foundation owned by Nigerian billionaire, Prince Ned Nwoko will sponsor the group in spreading the message of eradicating malaria in Africa in the ongoing 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and other international tournaments that will be attended by the supporters club.
“What Ned Nwoko is asking is that as a supporters group, we must support and collaborate with him to ensure that we carry the message of malaria eradication in Africa to the whole world. We are talking of AFCON, World Cup Qualifiers and when we get to the World Cup proper (Qatar), we will continue to spread the message about malaria in our continent.
“Ned Nwoko Foundation is going to be one of our sponsors from now on.”
Statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that in 2019 the African region accounted for 94% of all malaria cases worldwide. During the period, six African countries accounted for approximately half of all malaria deaths globally.
These are Nigeria (24%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), United Republic of Tanzania (5%), Burkina Faso (4%), Mozambique (4%) and Niger (4%). The 2019 World Malaria Report rates Nigeria as the country with the highest number of annual global malaria cases (25 % of 229 million world malaria cases).
Okumagba continued: “As members of the Super Eagles Supporters Club, we are collaborating with Ned Nwoko to spread this message of malaria eradication in Africa.
“The essence of this press conference is to alert members of the press to help spread this message. Malaria kills more souls in Africa than in any other part of the world, we cannot just fold our hands and be looking. For us, we will like to partner with any NGO that has programmes that can benefit humanity.”
On December 18, 2019, in Abuja, the foundation through a World Press Conference formally unveiled the Malaria Eradication in Africa Project (PNNF-MEAP) with the aim of working and collaborating with appropriate multilateral agencies, organizations, companies, governments and individuals to achieve a malaria-free Africa.
This was followed by an expedition by Prince Ned Nwoko himself to the world’s coldest continent, Antarctica, making history as the first black African to reach the South Pole, Antarctica and he hoisted Nigerian Flag there. The aim of the expedition was to draw the attention of the world to the challenge posed by malaria and the need to permanently rid Africa of the deadly disease. This message was passed by pitching a banner in South Pole captioned “Let’s Eradicate Malaria in Africa”
The PNNF-MEAP will expand from Nigeria to other African countries like Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Sierra-Leone and Sao Tome and Principe for collaborations.
“As a Pan-African initiative, the Super Eagles of Nigeria Supporters club and other countries supporters club here present are collaborating with Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation to bring to fore during this year’s African Cup of Nations, the advocacy for Malaria Eradication in Africa.
“Just as we are united by sports in Africa, let all African leaders unite and rise up to the occasion and do more in the fight against malaria; reduction of bureaucracy in the malaria intervention processes; greater awareness and enlightenment of the populace to ensure success of the various interventions; more public private partnership to strengthen the various interventions; increased visibility and affordability of the interventions and use of innovative measures to trigger access to commodities and in-country productions,” Okumagba said.
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