JAPAN BOOSTS LAGOS CHOLERA WAR CHEST WITH $1.7M EMERGENCY LIFELINE
The fight against cholera in Lagos received a major boost on Wednesday as the Government of Japan formally handed over a fresh consignment of emergency medical supplies and preparedness commodities to the Lagos State Government at the Lagos State Medical Store, Oshodi, in a move aimed at preventing a recurrence of the devastating 2024 outbreak.
The Project Handover Ceremony of Emergency Support for Cholera Response and Preparedness brought together top government officials, development partners and health experts, underscoring strengthened global solidarity in safeguarding public health in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Speaking on behalf of the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr. Ismail Abudus-Salam, described the Japanese intervention as “immense and timely,” noting that the consumables would support not only cholera management but also other diarrhoeal diseases.
He recalled that during the 2024 cholera outbreak, contaminated food and water were identified as major precursors, stressing that ongoing capacity-building efforts targeting food vendors, water vendors and waste workers would significantly reduce risks in flood-prone communities.
Dr. Abudus-Salam commended the Japanese Government for complementing state interventions, referencing a related project executed through UNIDO that strengthened emergency capacity among informal sector operators in high-risk areas.
“The partnership is not ending here; it is just the beginning,” he said, expressing appreciation to the Governor of Lagos State and the leadership of the Ministry of Health for sustaining strategic collaborations that protect citizens.
In his keynote remarks, Japan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, said the handover symbolised Japan’s unwavering solidarity with Nigeria in the fight against cholera, stressing that every life is precious and preventable deaths must not be tolerated.
He disclosed that Japan is funding three complementary cholera-related projects in Nigeria - implemented through UNOPS, World Health Organisation, and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, with a combined contribution of $1.725 million to strengthen emergency response, provide critical commodities and enhance preventive capacity among frontline actors.
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