James Emejo in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday commended Sterling Bank Plc for its commitment to supporting the present administration’s initiative to provide qualitative and affordable health services to Nigerians through strategic partnership with the Ministry of Health. Such partnership, according to the president, would serve as an enabler for the Health Ministry to achieve its goal of revamping the Health sector and ensuring efficient management of health facilities across the country.
He gave the commendation in Abuja while inaugurating the Model Primary Health Care Centre for Universal Coverage in Nigeria, located at Kuchigoro, Abuja Municipal Council.
Buhari specifically commended the bank for its foresight, innovation and financing support for the project which is focused on ensuring sustainable health for vulnerable women, children and the elderly at little or no cost to beneficiaries.
The president also commended other partners who have demonstrated strong commitment to supporting government’s efforts to making health services more affordable and accessibile with the possibility of delivery to the door steps of Nigerians.
Speaking further on the partnership, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola disclosed that the bank has already accepted the request of the Honorable Minister of Health to serve as a primary partner to the Ministry on all health-related developments adding that the Bank is already working with some committees tasked with the responsibility of improving the sector.
In line with the bank’s value proposition to optimise healthcare centers through the deployment of technology, he stated that the Bank remains committed to supporting the Primary Healthcare Centre in Kuchigoro. He also disclosed that the bank is supporting the 2016 edition of the Nigerian Service Delivery Innovation Challenge organised by the Federal Ministry of Health describing it as one of many areas of collaboration between the bank and the Ministry of Health.
He said further: “At Sterling Bank, we believe health is extremely important: to value health, you need to visit a hospital to see what people are passing through. As you probably know, there are so many worthy causes, but when it comes to health, it’s too critical because the health of a nation is determined by the health of the citizenry and is pivotal to the sustained economic growth of a nation. Therefore, we are pleased to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health and support the very hardworking minister who is doing a very good job to give quality health to our people.”
Adeola assured stakeholders that the bank would bring in private sector innovation and style as well as critical parameters to measure the success of the programme on a month-on-month basis and year-on-year basis to ensure the success of the programme from the logistics stand point and the point of view of implementation as the project rolls out from state to state.
He disclosed that the bank is already providing financial and logistics support to operators in the sector across the value chain with assurance that the bank would focus on the entire ecosystem of the health sector.
Adeola explained that as part of the bank’s commitment to a healthy environment, Sterling Bank has invested over N500 million in various activities under the Sterling Make Over (STEM) social responsibility initiative. The programme covers the donation of uniforms to sweepers and highway managers in 15 states, tree planting activities to checkmate erosion in the Northern part of the country and the national quarterly cleaning exercise.
