The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and some of its partners in the petroleum industry has increase its donation by N11 billion to strengthen national response to deadly coronavirus in Nigeria.
According to the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari,the additional support brings to about N21 billion the total contribution from the petroleum industry in support of the fight against coronavirus.
Also, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva, handed over five ambulances to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce for the control of COVID-19.
Sylva said the Oil and Gas Industry, under the leadership of NNPC, had come together to contribute their quota to the effort to stemming the pandemic.
The ambulances donation was sponsored by Aiteo Exploration and Production Company Limited, an NNPC Joint Venture Company partner.
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.
At an NNPC property in Utako District of Abuja, 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
Recall, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a sum of N10 billion grant to Lagos State, being the epicenter of the virus, while N5 billion was allocated to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
While other corporate organisation such as Access Bank, Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank gave N1 billion each with facilities for isolation center.
Other individuals who have donated N1billion each include Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Femi Otedola, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Herbert Wigwe, Segun Agbaje, Tim Ovie and Emmanuel Lazarus who gave N2 billion, while Atiku Abubakar gave N50 million and N10 million from Tuface Idibia.
