Julius Berger donates N56m to HIV Trust Fund in Nigeria

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has pledged a donation of N56m to the recently launched N62.1bn (US$150 Million) HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria (HTFN).

The HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria (HTFN) is a private sector-led initiative of both the public and the private sectors. It is aimed at ensuring sustainable mobilization of funds towards the eradication of AIDS in Nigeria, starting with the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

• Europa League: Aribo grabs assist as Rangers smash Borussia Dortmund
• Reps to slash NEDC, UBEC, NASENI budgets

The company is one of the Trust Fund’s five Funding Trustee member organisations and was represented at the event by its Managing Director, Engr. Dr Lars Richter.

The Fund was officially launched by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Villa Banquet Hall and had in attendance ministers, senior government functionaries, captains of industry, important members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the United Nations (UN), global leaders in the fight against HIV&AIDS, and members of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDs in Nigeria.

It was described by global health leaders as an important milestone in driving the next stage of the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Themed “No child in Nigeria should be born with HIV; no child in Nigeria should be an orphan because of HIV; no child in Nigeria should die due to lack of access to treatment”, Ms Winnie Byanyima, who is the Executive Director UNAIDS, in her keynote address, described the initiative as laudable, because, according to her, “2 out of every 3 women in Nigeria currently do not receive any HIV test during pregnancy which poses serious risks of infection to their babies”.

Julius Berger Nigeria has consistently supported the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria as one of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

In June 2019 it donated a fully functional office and operational base in Abuja to the Nigerian Business Coalition against HIV-AIDS (NIBUCAA) initiative.