Social Welfare 

Actions for the improvement of the
wellbeing of Nigerians

ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN

The challenge

In 2007, the Nigerian government launched a welfare scheme to help poor families, promising monthly payments for one year on condition that they send their children to school and get them immunised against childhood illnesses. About $70m was set aside for the programme, to be administered by the National Poverty Eradication Programme, because, despite the country’s oil wealth, most of its 140 million people live in poverty. It aimed to ensure: “that any Nigerian who is so disadvantaged or in such extreme poverty or misery, is given a helping hand to be able to fend for themselves.” But it has not gone far enough.

ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN

What
we’ve done

The wellbeing of every Nigerian, every African, is paramount to WBFA and, as a result, we have undertaken several interventions to protect the welfare of our people

Emergency Medical Assistance

We receive requests from Alaafia Kwara, our sister organisation in Kwara State, and other similar bodies, for medical assistance for people with medical bills beyond the budgets of the referring organisations. Most often, these are cases that require treatment abroad. Therefore some of our efforts in this area – through the Indigent Medical Fund Grant Program – include:

  • Finding places at, and funding journeys to and bills for, hospitals that perform corrective surgery of heart deformities in India and Israel
  • Linking accident victims with hospitals abroad, and funding the trip/medical costs for surgeries, recuperation and post-operation treatment
  • Donation of artificial limbs
  • Funding of corrective surgeries on body parts for individuals and families
  • Multiple birth assistance: WBFA also comes to the aid of indigent families who have been blessed with multiple children, providing money, paying hospital bills and even setting up businesses for them

WBFA has also given:

  • Monthly emergency intervention grants to indigent families with multiple birth situations through the Twins and Multiple Births Assistance Program
  • Half a million naira to families with multiple birth issues
  • Clothing for the children
  • Premature baby cradling mattresses
  • Bedding and clothing to victims of natural disasters
  • Food items to the United Nations Food Programme
  • A donation to the victims of the Ikeja Cantonment Bomb blast (prior to the establishment of WBFA)

Child Rights

The Wellbeing Foundation advocates for the rights of children in every part of Nigeria. We also collaborate with other organisations to convince governments and parents of the need to respect and protect the rights of children. This, of course, includes the right of every child to universal basic education and a proper upbringing, as well as the need to empower every child, including those with physical and intellectual disabilities. This is why WBFA is a major supporter of the Special Olympics in Nigeria.

Anti-Human Trafficking

WBFA is a member of the Network of Civil Society Organisations working against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL). We have a working relationship, backed with a memorandum of understanding, with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), with whom we collaborate on capacity-building and public enlightenment programmes for law enforcement agencies and communities respectively. We have also been involved in advocacy to prevent illegal migration of students to foreign countries, in conjunction with SEYONDA.

Actions for the improvement of the wellbeing of Nigerians