Encomium
MTN Nigeria’s social investment vehicle, MTN Foundation, has reaffirmed its commitment to support the development of the Nigerian public health sector. This is to ensure the government achieves the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on “Good Health and Well-being” by championing actionable policy advocacies.
The Executive Secretary of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, revealed this at the 8th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference themed “Policy Communication for Sustainable Healthcare and Wellness in Nigeria.”
Odunayo stated that policy adaptation is one of the strategies the government could employ in advancing health care infrastructure nationwide. “Policy adaptation is an untapped strategy the government is yet to utilize. There are a lot of policies in diverse sectors of the economy that are yet to be fully implemented. The private sector could take advantage of this by proposing socially-driven policies that will lead to national growth and development, particularly in the health sector,” she said.
To upscale the level of development within the public health sector, Odunayo advised both the government and the private sector to fully consider the potential inherent in tax credit schemes. This will encourage diversified investments which are critical to infrastructural developments nationwide.
“Nigeria has multiple tax credit schemes designed to encourage investments into key sectors of the nation’s economy. An example of this is the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) scheme MTN Nigeria plans to exploit. Private sector players can also take advantage of the Health Infrastructure Tax Credit (HITC) scheme to develop world class healthcare facilities which will increase accessibility and significantly reduce medical tourism.”
MTN Foundation has invested massively in national development through its contributions to the healthcare sector since its incorporation in 2004. As such, the foundation has spearheaded various health interventions across the nation such its Market Doctor Initiative, Y’ello Doctor Project, MTNF Medical Support Project, and Anti-Substance Abuse Project (ASAP).
