Nigerian Rotarian, Sir Offor, Commits $5 Million to Rotary’s Maternal, Child Health Program

Nigerian Rotarian and philanthropist Sir Emeka Offor has committed $5 million to The Rotary Foundation to expand and strengthen its initiative aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in high-need areas of Nigeria.

The donation, which is being channeled through the the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), will help expand the program’s reach. Sir Offor is the founder of SEOF and a member of the Rotary Club of Oraifite in District 9142.

“Helping mothers and babies survive and thrive is among the greatest investments we can make in Nigeria’s future,” Sir Offor said. “We have seen a unique opportunity to build upon a Rotary-led program to further turn the tide on maternal and child mortality by working together. This partnership marks a powerful step forward for the health and wellbeing of families across Nigeria.”

The West African nation has some of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates in the world. Improving access to prenatal care and skilled deliveries in equipped facilities has been shown to reduce this burden.

Recognizing this, the Rotary-led program trains health workers, upgrades clinics, engages communities, and strengthens health data systems. Two years into implementation, facilities in four target regions have reported increased antenatal visits and reductions of 20% in maternal deaths and 28% in neonatal deaths.

“This extraordinary commitment from the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation comes at a critical time in our member’s efforts to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria,” said Mark Maloney, Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation. “We deeply appreciate Sir Emeka’s partnership and his strong belief in Rotary’s ability to reach even more communities and create lasting change for the health and wellbeing of families for generations to come.”

Rotary’s ‘Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria’ program was first launched by Rotarians in Nigeria and Germany, in partnership with the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), the Federal Ministry of Health and leading professional health associations.

In 2022, it was the second program to receive a Programs of Scale grant from The Rotary Foundation, an annual competitive process that awards $2 million to an evidence-based initiative driven by Rotarians with the capability for scaling up to help more people.

Sir Offor is chairman of the Chrome Group, a Nigerian-based conglomerate with interests spanning oil and gas, insurance and finance, power and energy, telecommunications, logistics and port management, and travel and hospitality. A long-time Rotary member and supporter, he is part of the Arch C. Klumph Society’s Platinum Trustee Circle, which recognizes contributions between $2.5 million and $4.99 million. He has donated more than $3 million to The Rotary Foundation, supporting four of Rotary’s key areas of focus: peace and conflict management, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and polio eradication.

In 2019, his leadership gift of $250,000 helped inspire the creation of Rotary’s first Peace Center in Africa, located at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He has also contributed more than $4 million to polio eradication efforts in Nigeria, making him the largest individual donor to this cause on the African continent. Among his many contributions, he funded the construction of a 1,600-seat Rotary Hall at the Rotary Centre Complex in Abuja, unveiled on June 20, 2020, at a cost of more than ₦100 million.