• Friday, March 29, 2024
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NSSF, Nigerian artists, others to raise funds for Covid-19 vaccine equity

Vaccines

The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), a brainchild of Global Citizen (GC), an international advocacy organisation, and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has revealed some A-list Nigerian artists set to perform at the Global Citizen Live event in Lagos, Nigeria on September 25, 2021, and seeks to raise resources to ensure that one million Nigerians get vaccinated over the next 12 months.

The event is part of a once-in-a-generation 24-hour global activation that will see artists perform across six continents to help rally citizens in demanding that governments, major corporations, and philanthropists work together to defeat poverty and defend the planet by focusing on the most urgent, interrelated threats. These include vaccine equity, climate change, and famine that impact those in extreme poverty the hardest.

Read also: Will ‘vaccine passport’ for international travel hurt Nigeria?

Nigerian artists donating their talent and time to help raise funds to boost vaccine equity through the vaccination of one million people across the country include Davido, Burna Boy, Femi Kuti, Made Kuti, and Tiwa Savage.

Other artists taking part in these groundbreaking projects include artists from locations in Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Paris, London, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney, and more to be announced.

In Nigeria, Global Citizen is working with the Lagos State Government to create a limited-capacity event to celebrate Nigerians working on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The show will be filmed in advance with a fully vaccinated audience.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said: “Lagos State is thrilled to be a part of Global Citizen Live. With the challenges of rising poverty, hunger, and vaccine inequity facing Africa, we need businesses and governments around the world to respond to the call of citizens, stand in solidarity with the people of Africa, and commit to defending the planet and defeating poverty and inequality.”

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, “Over 75% of the more than 4 billion doses administered to date have occurred in just 10 countries while only 1% of people in low-income countries have received a dose. That’s why I am pleased to support Global Citizen Live and join Global Citizen in their calls to public and private leaders to share the doses, financing, knowledge, technology, and political solidarity needed to end this pandemic.”

Singer-songwriter and activist Femi Kuti said: “I am honoured to help bring Global Citizen Live to Lagos, as we lift the voices of Africans everywhere. But what is taking place on the continent right now is a tragedy. There is no reason that 1% of Nigerians have been vaccinated against COVID while countries talk of booster shots. It’s time for our leaders to lead and act now.”

Global Citizen Live is part of Global Citizen’s overarching Recovery Plan for the World, a year-long campaign to help end COVID-19 by calling on governments, philanthropists, and the private sector for financial commitments to kickstart a global recovery. Ahead of October’s G20 Summit, and COP26, the Global Citizen Live campaign will call on world leaders, major corporations, and foundations to defend the planet and defeat poverty.

Global Citizen Live is supported by a corporate coalition, including Access Bank in Nigeria, alongside global partners, Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners WW International and Worldwide Technology; who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives.

Global Citizen Live has received in-kind support from leading media companies, including BellaNaija, Branded Cities, Brut Media, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor, Curb Media, Forbes, GSTV, iHeartRadio, Interstate Outdoor, JCDecaux Nigeria, Nigeria Info, OutFront Media, Six Flags Theme Parks, The New York Times, Vanguard Media, Wazobia FM, and Wazobia Max TV.