Abuja: Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, has appointed Nigeria’s First Lady, H.E. Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as the More Than a Mother Ambassador to support girl education and address infertility stigma in Nigeria. This appointment was announced during a high-profile meeting in Abuja, which was led by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT, and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.
According to African Press Organization, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej expressed her privilege in meeting with the First Lady of Nigeria, emphasizing the start of a long-term partnership aimed at enhancing healthcare capacity in Nigeria. The partnership will focus on providing scholarships for Nigerian doctors across 42 critical and underserved specialties, addressing significant social and health issues such as breaking the infertility stigma, and supporting girl education.
Merck Foundation has already provided 63 scholarships to Nigerian doctors, including 8 in areas like Fertility, Embryology, and Women’s Health, and 38 in fields such as Diabetes and Cardiology. These initiatives aim to improve healthcare delivery by enabling doctors to establish specialized clinics in their communities for better disease prevention and management.
Additionally, 17 scholarships have been awarded in fields like Oncology Research and Respiratory Medicine. The foundation’s Educating Linda program has also sponsored the education of 20 high-performing but underprivileged Nigerian schoolgirls.
Merck Foundation has conducted three editions of Online Health Media Training for Nigerian journalists to emphasize the media’s role in influencing societal change on issues like infertility stigma and girl education. The foundation, in collaboration with Nigeria’s First Lady, has also launched eight significant awards for media, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, and students, encouraging creative works that address social issues such as infertility stigma and women empowerment.
Senator Dr. Kelej concluded with an invitation for young Nigerian talents to participate in these awards, expressing optimism about celebrating more Nigerian winners in the future.