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Key Points
- Emeka Offor pledges $5 million to Rotary Foundation to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in high-need Nigerian communities.
- Offor’s donation supports Rotary’s maternal health program, which has already reduced maternal deaths by 20% and neonatal deaths by 28%.
- Offor has a long history of philanthropy, including contributions to polio eradication, educational development, and healthcare, totaling millions across Africa.
Nigerian oil magnate Emeka Offor has always been deeply committed to philanthropy, and his latest donation continues that tradition. Through his non-governmental organization, the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), he recently pledged $5 million to The Rotary Foundation. This will bolster efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in high-need areas of Nigeria.
Offor's charitable work has long focused on human capacity development and economic empowerment in Nigeria. Reflecting on his recent gift, he said, “Helping mothers and babies survive and thrive is one of the greatest investments we can make in Nigeria’s future. We see a real opportunity to strengthen a Rotary-led program that can make a lasting difference in maternal and child health by working together.”
Mark Maloney, Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, expressed gratitude for Offor's generous support: “This extraordinary commitment comes at a pivotal time in our efforts to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria. We deeply appreciate Sir Emeka’s partnership and his belief in Rotary’s ability to reach more communities and create lasting change for families.”
Offor funds maternal, child health push
Nigeria’s maternal and newborn mortality rates remain among the highest in the world, and improving access to prenatal care and skilled delivery is vital. The Rotary-led program, now in its second year, has already made measurable progress: supported facilities in four regions have seen increased antenatal visits, with a 20 percent drop in maternal deaths and a 28 percent reduction in neonatal deaths. Offor’s $5 million donation will help expand the program’s reach, building on these early successes.
With this funding, Rotary International and the Gates Foundation are launching a $9 million initiative to further improve healthcare services in Nigeria. The initiative, part of the broader 'Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge,' will begin in Kebbi State and later expand to another state. Over 2,750 community health workers will be trained to provide essential care for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, which continue to threaten children under five in Nigeria. This initiative aims to reduce childhood mortality significantly in these regions.
Offor builds legacy through giving
Offor, who is the founder and executive vice chairman of Chrome Group, a Nigerian-based conglomerate, has also made significant contributions in various sectors, including oil and gas, power, telecommunications, and logistics. Under his leadership, Chrome Group has become a major player in Nigeria's oil trading, biofuels, and logistics industries, with an annual turnover exceeding $1 billion. This success has enabled the growth of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation.
In addition to his most recent donation, Offor has a long history of impactful charitable giving. In 2019, he helped fund the creation of Africa's first Rotary Peace Center at Makerere University in Uganda with a $250,000 gift. He has also contributed more than $4 million to the fight against polio in Nigeria, making him the largest individual donor to this cause on the African continent. Among his many contributions, he funded the construction of the Rotary Hall in Abuja, which was unveiled in 2020 at a cost of over N100 million.
Offor’s commitment to improving healthcare in Nigeria continued in 2021 when he donated medicine worth N1 billion ($2.4 million at the time) to support health facilities across the country’s six geopolitical zones. In the same year, he donated books worth $30 million to educational institutions across 18 African countries in fields such as law, business administration, and political science. His ongoing contributions are a testament to his dedication to making a tangible, lasting impact on Nigeria and beyond.
