Nigeria’s foremost brewer Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced a donation of six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000.00) to the Federal and some state governments, as part of efforts to support the fight against COVID-19, the Corporate Affairs Director of the company, Sade Morgan, said in a statement.
According to Morgan, details of the donation are contained in a letter to Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the federal government and chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
The Company’s Managing Director, Jordi Borrut Bel, who signed the letter, confirmed that the N600 million donation comprised of the following:
A N250 million cash donation to the Federal Government, through the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CA-COVID), the private sector led special intervention fund managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN);
N250 million cash donation to eight State Governments’ Task Force Against COVID-19. Lagos and Ogun States will receive the sum of One Hundred Million Naira (N100M) and Fifty Million Naira (N50M) respectively being COVID-19 frontline states while five other states of Kaduna, Oyo, Enugu, Abia and Imo will get N20M each.
N100 million worth of relief materials comprising:
Provision of 5 double-cabin vehicles for use by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun and Kaduna States. This is to help meet their critical operational needs, especially contact tracing and movement of materials/personnel to isolation and treatment centres. The cost of fuel, maintenance and driver’s salaries will also be covered by Nigerian Breweries.
Personal Protective Equipment such as face masks, 500 gowns and 141,000 units of hand sanitizers for nationwide distribution to our key states.
Supply of malt, energy and soft drinks to the various Covid-19 NCDC centres nationwide. This will be done over a period to ensure steady support and to meet the nourishment needs of the centres during the crisis.
Mr Jordi Bel said the company has taken various steps to ensure that it continues to protect the jobs of its 3000 employees, while supporting its vendors/suppliers during this difficult period.
He added that these contributions are in line with the company’s belief that public-private partnership is essential to overcoming the threat of the COVID-19 virus.
According to the official, cheque presentations have already been made to the Ogun and Lagos State governments while other states will receive their donations in the coming days.
The parent company of Nigerian Breweries, the HEINEKEN Company, had previously donated 15 Million Euros to the International Red Cross to support the organisation’s relief efforts towards the most vulnerable people and communities affected by COVID-19 especially those in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Additionally, the Heineken Africa Foundation has decided to replace its regular grants and projects this year with a plan to spend up to five million euros in partnership with various NGOs in Africa to significantly upscale and accelerate its WASH programme, which focuses on providing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).