Top professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria has commenced the distribution of its N100 million COVID-19 intervention fund to support individuals, businesses and government in response to the impact of the pandemic in Nigeria.
According to a statement by the firm, the COVID-19 intervention fund tagged PwC Cares is in line with the firm’s purpose of building trust in society and solving important problems and consists of a number of initiatives targeted at various sections of society including vulnerable households, health workers and small businesses.
The firm is also leveraging its knowledge and resources especially around business and the economy to support governments both at the federal and states level in their economic response to the challenges resulting from the outbreak of the pandemic.
Uyi Akpata, Country and Regional Senior Partner, PwC West Africa said that at a time such as this it is necessary for firms and individual to render help in every possible way considering how the pandemic has affected lives and businesses.
“As well as having serious implications for people, health and the healthcare services, COVID- 19 is having a significant impact on businesses and the economy particularly for Nigeria at this time given our dwindling resources and high level of poverty.
As a firm, we are supporting a number of initiatives aimed at addressing the health and economic challenges in Nigeria. We are also providing food items to at least 5,500 vulnerable households, as well as personal protective equipment (PPEs) for frontline healthcare workers in the following states; Lagos, Ogun, Imo, Edo, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Kano and the FCT.” Akpata said.
He also said that in addition to the intervention fund, the firm offered complementary business continuity support services to small businesses employing between 5 to 50 employees who undertake to retain all their staff during this period and has also hosted series of free webinars on the economic implications and policy responses to COVID-19 during which it shares key insights on the situation, providing various response scenarios and generally engaging the business community on how to remain resilient through the crisis.
“It is clear that we still have a long way to go and we continue to learn to deal with the challenges. Therefore, now more than ever before, we see that partnerships between stakeholders especially between public and private sector, is key to success. This is why in addition to the N100 million fund, we have also set up a COVID-19 Knowledge Centre accessible via our website to support Federal and State governments in their economic responses to the pandemic.” Akpata said.
