The Nigerian Government has inaugurated the Implementation Committee for the National Philanthropy Office saying it will continue to collaborate with the private sector in order to accomplish more for its citizens.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this declaration on Friday, January 12, 2024 during the inauguration held at the conference centre of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Vice President, who stressed that no country can thrive in isolation, used the opportunity to call on the well to do in the society to support the less privileged.
He said “There is no place on this planet where the government thrives in isolation and without collaboration with private individuals and organizations bound by the virtue of empathy, this practice of philanthropy will survive. This collaborative approach has seen and has been the cornerstone of great civilization and each one of us is a torch bearer of this conviction.”
The Vice President reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to philanthropy, saying he believes in the act of assisting the needy.
“Long before stepping into the realm of public service, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been a steadfast believer in the ideals of giving back to society and this commitment to philanthropy has always defined his identity.
“The Country Chairperson of the National Philanthropy office, Mrs Thelma Solanke can be rest assured that this initiative is in secure hands. Mr President’s enduring spirit of societal betterment is enough guarantee of its success and impact.”
VP Shettima revealed that the private sector will drive the process in order to achieve the goals of the philanthropy scheme with government giving the needed support, leading to bettering the lot of its beneficiaries.
He further disclosed that the initiative proposes to raise $200 million in grants and loans investment through local and international teams as well as provide support to startups in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
Chairperson of the National Philanthropy Office, Thelma Solanke, said the scheme is aimed at impacting the lives of Nigerians.
“The mandate of the office is to raise capital to support MSMEs across Nigeria and the mandate given to us is extremely targeting startups in the fashion industry and light manufacturing particularly furniture manufacturers, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture,” she said.
Mrs Solanke added that the Nigerian Philanthropy and Impact Investment office will target 50 percent women in all its programmes.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs and Job Creation, Temitoal Adekunle-Johnson, noted that the new scheme will redefine governance as well as strengthen partnership between the public and private sectors.
“We are about to embark on a journey of changing the face of how governance is done in Africa. With the power of partnership, the public sector and private sector will do magic under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President which is out to support MSMEs and create Jobs,” he said.
Adekunle-Johnson said following the launch of the scheme, massive projects would be launched in 12 States with each of the six geo-political zones of the country getting two of the projects.
“These massive projects will lead to the creation of enormous jobs. It is an audacious ambition to create one million jobs in the next two years,” the Presidential aide disclosed.
Members of the Local Implementation Committee chaired by Ms Thelma Ekiyor-Solanke include the Managing Director of Wema Bank, Mr Moruf Oseni; Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr Olasupo Olusi; Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna; Chairman, Impact Investors Foundation, Mr Afolabi Oladele, and Founder, Sambo Foundation,HRH, Samuel Sambo.
Others are Managing Director, BUA Foundation, Mr Ubon Udoh; Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr Felix Ogbe; CEO of Brownvalley Partners, Mr Terlumun Ikya, and Mrs Ayodele Olojede from Wema Bank, while Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson will serve as Secretary of the committee.
The National Philanthropy Office is created to galvanise support for the less privileged in the society, with a view to better their lot and also create jobs in line with the government’s agenda of making life more meaningful for citizens.
