Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) yesterday pledged to support the current efforts of federal government against Coronavirus with N200 million.
The ADF’s intervention is considered the largest single donation by a corporate organisation in the country to contain the spread of virus since a foreigner was tested positive last month in Lagos.
ADF also committed about N1 billion to the fight against the dreaded Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Africa.
The foundation directly supported federal government’s Ebola containment efforts through strategic investments that built resilience and strengthened Nigeria’s health system in a manner expected to endure beyond the Ebola crisis period.
Among others, the foundation, during the Ebola crisis, supported government through the followings: Provision of funding for the establishment of the National Ebola Emergency Operations Centre in Yaba, Lagos; provision of 12 units of thermal cameras across Nigeria’s international airports with training for 160 staff/personnel of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health Services Department, on the use of the thermal cameras; provision of WHO-certified personal protective equipment against Ebola; donation of $3 million to support African Union’s intervention against Ebola in West Africa; and also complete logistics support for returnee volunteers on Ebola intervention across countries ravaged by Ebola.
President Muhammadu Buhari had then commended Mr Aliko Dangote for what he described as “remarkable sacrifices in eradicating Ebola virus disease and polio in Nigeria.”
Managing director and CEO of the ADF, Ms Zouera Youssoufou, represented by the health and nutrition programme officer, Mrs Maryam Shehu-Buhari, at a donor coordinating meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, said the donation was part of the foundation’s cardinal objective.
ADF was the only wholly-Nigerian donor that attended the meeting and made a monetary pledge.
To this extent, she said the foundation had earmarked N124 million to support facilities to help prevent, assess and respond to health events at point of entry to ensure national health security.
Youssoufou said other areas where the foundation was supporting included surveillance and epidemiology, where facilities worth N36 million would be provided to support government’s efforts.
According to her, ADF would also donate N48 million for case management training of health workers.
At the meeting facilitated by the World Bank, the bank’s country director, represented by the operations manager, Ms Kathleen Whimp, identified four thematic areas in tackling the spread of COVID-19: Regular communication with the public, contact tracing, training of volunteers and international co-operation.
Sun
