The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) have concluded arrangement to collaborate with some Nigerian artists to raise funds to enable one million Nigerians have access to COVID-19 vaccine.
Artists already enlisted for the project include Davido, Burna Boy, Femi Kuti, Made Kuti and Tiwa Savage, among others.
NSSF, which is a brainchild of Global Citizen, is also 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.
According to a release made available to Sunday Sun, the project would also involve artists performing across some six continents to draw governments’ attention to the issue and how to fight the scourge in the developing countries.
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.”
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Over 75 per cent of the more than 4 billion doses administered to date have occurred in just 10 countries while only 1 per cent 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.”
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.