Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative and H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother,” at the th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025
It was an immense honor to welcome and meet my dear sister, H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother,” at the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit 2025. It was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and myself, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative, along with H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON and First Ladies of Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.
Merck Foundation Chairman, CEO, and 14 First Ladies inaugurate the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit
Together with my dear sister, we have achieved a lot, since our partnership journey began. We discussed our joint programs to transform patient care landscape and build healthcare capacity by providing scholarships for local Nigerian doctors. I am proud to share that till now we have provided 63 scholarships for local Nigerian doctors in many critical and underserved specialties like Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Care, Women’s Health, Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Preventative Cardiovascular, Cardiology and Obesity & Weight Management, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Care, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Critical Care, Psychiatry, Care for Older Person and Pain Management. Together, we will transform the future of patient care in Nigeria.
Merck Foundation has overall provided 2280 scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties. Our vision is that everyone can lead healthy and happy life. Moreover, as part of our “Educating Linda” program, we are supporting the education of 20 high-performing yet underprivileged schoolgirls annually in Nigeria, in partnership with The First Lady, empowering them to pursue their dreams and shape a brighter future. We have also launched seven children’s storybooks—“More Than a Mother,” “Educating Linda,” “Jackline’s Rescue,” “Not Who You Are,” “Ride into the Future,” “Sugar Free Jude,” and “Mark’s Pressure”—to address issues like breaking infertility stigma, supporting girl education, stopping GBV, and promoting diabetes and hypertension awareness.
During the Summit, we announced the Call for Applications for our eight Merck Foundation Awards in partnership with The First Lady of Nigeria, targeting Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents. These awards aim to inspire creative storytelling to address pressing issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending FGM, and Promoting Diabetes and Hypertension Awareness. I warmly invite Nigeria’s young talents to submit their creative work to submit@merck-foundation.com by 30th September 2025 for “More Than a Mother” awards and 30th October 2025 for “Diabetes & Hypertension” awards.
The Summit’s hybrid format enabled over 6,000 participants from more than 70 countries to join our discussions, amplifying our collective impact and fostering meaningful dialogue on healthcare and social challenges.
Kind Regards,
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej
CEO of Merck Foundation
President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI)
President of “More Than a Mother” Campaign
