Tony Elumelu Foundation Donates N100 million Towards Ebola Containment and Relief Across West Africa
(Lagos, Nigeria)-With the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa and now in Nigeria, business leader Tony O. Elumelu through his Tony Elumelu Foundation has pledged N100 million towards the containment and relief efforts of this deadly disease across Africa.
The N100 million donation from the Tony Elumelu Foundation will be used to equip medical teams and the general response in all four countries. N50 million will go directly to Mr. Elumelu’s home country of Nigeria, while the remaining N50 million will be distributed to the governments of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia to support their efforts.
In response to the donation, President Alpha Conde of Guinea commented, “I thank Mr. Tony Elumelu for this contribution and hope that his example will be followed by others. This contribution will be used to help strengthen the coordinated international efforts to stop the Ebola epidemic.”
“We are facing the current situation with real determination. This support from our Nigerian brother Tony Elumelu proves to us yet again that in this fight we are not alone and that we will succeed,” said Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma regarding the donation.
Thus far there have been a total of 1,066 fatalities as well as 1,963 confirmed or suspected cases in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea while in Nigeria there have been four deaths while 169 people remain under surveillance and 4 deaths. Despite the low number of cases and deaths in Nigeria compared to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia who have been severely hit by this disease, the worst in history, Elumelu believes it is imperative that one of the most populous nations in the world be ready and equipped with the necessary tools it needs to adequately combat this disease.
“It is with great sadness that we are struggling with this epidemic. However, I am a firm believer that the private sector must play a major role in Africa’s development, which includes supporting our health care system, especially during a time like this when existing infrastructure is stretched,” stated Mr. Elumelu.