Coronavirus: NNPC, oil firms make more donations against pandemic

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Saturday gave additional N10 billion support on behalf of the ‘petroleum industry’ in support of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

The additional support brings to about N21 billion the total contribution from the petroleum industry in support of the fight.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, announced the additional support in a statement on Saturday.

Also, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva, handed over five ambulances to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Mr Mustapha is the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce for the control of COVID-19.

Aiteo Exploration and Production Company Limited, an NNPC joint venture partner, donated the ambulances as its contribution to industry effort.

Handing over the ambulances to Mr Mustapha, Mr Sylva said these are abnormal times, which call for collective efforts to find the way forward.

The minister said the support against COVID-19 was an ongoing one, noting that anything received afterwards would be delivered to the committee.

He said the oil and gas industry, under the leadership of NNPC, came together to contribute their quota to the effort to stemming the pandemic.

Mr Mustapha applauded the NNPC and the oil and gas industry for the maximum support extended to the federal government in the campaign against the pandemic.

Conducting the SGF and the minister round the 190-bed medical facility donated by the petroleum industry, the NNPC chief said the Thisday Dome, Abuja, that would house the bed-spaces was donated by another NNPC partner, Sahara Group.

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He said other NNPC partners, local and international, have continued to implement various projects in support of the national effort against the pandemic, describing the feat as the hallmark of “Good Corporate Citizenship”.

“Aside from consignments of medical consumables and logistics facilities, the industry is embarking on construction of at least two permanent hospitals and world class diagnostics centres in each of the geopolitical zones in the country.

“All these are over and above our regular social investments through various CSR initiatives,” Mr Kyari stated.

He said the donations were in collaboration with the private sector and a Chinese company, CCECC, to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the 190-bed facility would be ready for use in two weeks’ time.

At an NNPC property in Utako District of Abuja, Mr Kyari announced the corporation had set aside another 60-bed capacity facility of the property to support the fight against the pandemic.

He said the facility would be ready in the next two weeks.

He explained that the Utako facility would be equipped with oxygen generating plants, ventilators and other medical logistics.

He said the facility has 10 Intensive Care Units that would serve as back up to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital isolation unit in Gwagwalada.