Posted by By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja on
The Federal Government and the Clinton Foundation on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at facilitating the supply...
The Federal Government and the Clinton Foundation on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at facilitating the supply, to Nigeria, of high-quality and affordable drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment.
The signing ceremony, which took place at the State House in Abuja, was witnessed by President Olusegun Obasanjo and former United States President, Mr. Bill Clinton, who is in Nigeria for the 7th Leon Sullivan Summit.
Under the terms of the agreement, which was signed by the Minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, and the Chairman of the Board of the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative, Mr. Ira Magaziner, Nigeria is to be included the Foundation‘s Procurement Consortium and will benefit from its negotiated supplier agreements to reduce the prices of HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostics.
The foundation will also assist Nigeria in expanding access to pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment by easing access to pediatric antiretroviral drugs and providing technical assistance.
In addition, it will assist Nigeria to mobilise funds from donor-governments and other HIV/AIDS foundations, multilateral organisations, private corporations and individuals, to fund HIV/AIDS interventions and further identified needs.
However, the Federal Government is expected to regularly inform the Clinton Foundation of its priority areas in the HIV/AIDS intervention programmes.
Meanwhile, Clinton on Monday called on African nations to return to the dreams of a great continent, saying the greatest tragedy of the continent was the lack of new dreams.
He said at the opening of the Leon Sullivan Summit in Abuja that the primary focus for Africans was the restoration of dreams of a properous Africa as 'there is no single tradegy in Africa more than robbing people of their dreams."
He said the challenge in Africa today was 'building a systematic capacity which will enable the people live to make their own progress and save their own future.
'I read all the time people saying there are corruption in the developing world. But there is too little capacity in Africa and when you create an absence of capacity, you create a vacuum in which all kinds of bad things happen. People need an organised way to pursue their future."
He reminded the audience that 'we don't have unlimited amount of time in the planet. Therefore, we need to use the remaining time we have to give some chance to others."
Clinton also stressed that 'we need to say to ourselves, what do we want Africa to be in five to ten years from now? What changes has to be made by government, what changes that has to be made by the NGOs and the private sector. How can we bring them together so that every boy or girl in this continent can live their dreams no matter how different they might be from us."
He also noted a new initiative designed to improve life in developing countries by working on the economic development of such countries. Clinton stated that the system would endure and would be available for others to plug onto.
Such system, he added must be designed to improve life, improve per capita income, improve agricultural productivity, health, education, energy, as well as water and sanitation. ``If you look at the miracle economics of Asia it is not only hard work but the opportunity to be part of a system that will reward your intelligence and hardwork."
The Federal Government is also expected to make provisions for tax and duty exemptions for equipment, materials, services and drugs required for the implementation of its partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Obasanjo thanked Clinton for his enduring interest in Nigeria and Africa.
He expressed the hope that the MOU and partnership with the Foundation will provide a significant boost to ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.