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Infant Mortality: NLNG, LCCI To Scale Up Neonatal Inventions

  • Scientist courts FG’s support for innovations tailored for Nigeria

As part of efforts to reduce the menace of infant mortality in Nigeria, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) will scale up the winning work for the 2023 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Science, a technological innovation to save infants.

NLNG endorsed the innovations of Professor Hippolite Amadi at an event jointly organised with the LCCI for industry players in Lagos on Wednesday.

The work by Professor Hippolite Amadi is a significant innovation that has introduced three (3) technological innovations that make the delivery of oxygen cheap and easy for medically challenged newborns in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Prize for Science, a prestigious initiative sponsored by NLNG, over the years, continues to play a pivotal role in stimulating ground-breaking innovations aimed at improving healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

Speaking at the event, General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, represented by Yemi Adeyemi, Acting Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, said a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023 ranked Nigeria as the country with the second highest number of maternal, neonatal and child deaths worldwide, adding that Nigeria stands the risk of normalising neonatal mortality if nothing is done to stop it.

His words: “The groundbreaking innovations of Professor Amadi, as recognised by The Nigeria Prize for Science, are not merely a step forward for our nation but a beacon of hope for the countless newborns that hang in the balance. We cannot afford to let the cries of our newborns fade into the background of our daily lives. The urgency to combat neonatal mortality is a solemn duty to safeguard the future of our nation’s children, and we must answer that call with unwavering determination and immediate, decisive measures.”

“NLNG is very proud of Professor Amadi’s discoveries through The Nigeria Prize for Science. Our vision of helping to build a better Nigeria is the core of the prize, and we believe strongly that the 2023 winning entry speaks in unambiguous terms as one of the ways we can achieve this vision. NLNG remains committed to the prize and will not relent in finding solutions to the nation’s development issues,” he stated.

At the event, the LCCI President, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa; the LCCI Director-General, Dr. Chinyere Almona; other LCCI executives, logistics stakeholders; media professionals; among others were thrilled with an exposé on Prof. Amadi’s technological-innovative trends and the adaptability of his equipment to the Nigerian health system.

Prof. Amadi encouraged the federal government, state governments and private investors to prioritize investments in neonatal technologies while lamenting that over 846 Nigerian newborns die daily.

In his address, the LCCI President, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, described the business interactive forum as a unique opportunity for the Nigerian business community to learn from Professor Amadi’s work.

He opined that if Nigeria, given its natural endowments, is to successfully transform its economy and achieve significant growth, science and technology and its integration into the socio-economic development process must be accorded the highest priority.

His words: “These products that are specifically designed for the Nigerian market. They are portable, relatable and easily applicable to the most remote parts of this country. The equipments can also be utilized by nurses instead of the more sophisticated ones that require consultants.

“LCCI hasn’t just placed its name and facilities behind the project; we are going to work actively with the winner to take the technology to the 57 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos. We have engaged the LCDAs in a bid to get the facility into the healthcare centres in Lagos. We are also going to work with the medical group at LCCI and NLNG to scale-up the availability of these medical devices. The financial services sector of LCCI will be involved to address the monetary issues and attract investors into the business.”

The LCCI President equally applauded NLNG, the prize sponsor, for being one of the best-run public-private partnerships that has consistently contributed to the Nigerian economy through dividends and taxes.

The Nigeria Prize for Science is a $100,000 and it is sponsored by NLNG to proffer innovations in science and technology to solve age-long problems and drive development in Nigeria.

According to NLNG, this initiative aims to engender state-of-the-art facilities and resources for the healthcare institutions towards delivering high-quality care to patients.

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