CMA CGM, a leader in shipping and logistics, has restated its commitment in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus (Covis-19) pandemic in Nigeria with its recent donation of 150,000f facemasks to Lagos State government.
The group, which is present in 160 countries across 755 offices, 750 warehouses and has 110,000 members of staff, has said the facemask donation was part of its corporate social responsibilit to the community where it operates.
Speaking during the donation of the facemasks in Lagos, Lionel Odeyer, managing director CMA CGM Nigeria said the facemask donation is a part of the group’s corporate values and a way to show that the company cares for the people it does business with.
Odeyer said the distribution will be done together with the permanent secretary of Lagos State, adding that CMA CGM has done similar donations in various countries across Africa.
“Since the beginning of the crisis, the CMA CGM Group and all the staff members have been strongly committed to the fight against COVID-19. Our top priority was always to protect our staff and partners while ensuring the continuity of global supply chains, to support local economies and reduce the impact of the pandemic.
“Today, the group continues its commitment towards Nigeria in the fight against the pandemic. This is why I am very honoured to provide, in the presence of Joseph Catino, Consul adjoint to the French consulate general and to Doctor Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Lagos State a donation of 150,000 chirurgical masks on behalf of Rodolphe Saade, CEO of the CMA CGM group,” he said.
Odeyer said the group is a pioneer in environmental protection and a leader in the energy transition of the shipping industry.
The CMA CGM Group now operates seven LNG-powered containerships and will have a fleet of 26 containerships of various sizes by 2022. LNG is the most advanced solution when it comes to preserving air quality and also provides an initial response to the challenge of tackling climate change. “This is the type of social responsibility policies we are developing. It is really based on our family values,” he said.
“We have been operating in Nigeria since 2005. We have strong relationships with Nigerians. We have Nigerian staff and customers and also part of the development of Lekki Deep Sea Port that we are going to open in partnership with Nigerian stakeholders in 2023,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Olusegun Ogboye, permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Lagos State said the donation is a good thing as the government can’t fight the pandemic alone.
“It is really expensive to fight a pandemic, so support from the private sector is always very welcomed and it has helped us a lot. Donations like this have helped to protect our frontline staff.
“When they have the protection, they are more confident about going out to fight what we are asking them to fight. So, it has helped us equip our frontline staff and keep them safe,” Ogboye said.
He stressed that people still need to protect themselves, as COVID-19 is not gone and a lot of other countries are shutting down because of a second wave.
“We want to avoid a second wave here in Nigeria. People should still continue to use their mask, wash their hands and keep a safe distance from other people. People have to take responsibilities for their own safety. We will still continue to sensitise people and let them know the need to take these safety precautions,” Ogboye said.
CMA CGM has been operating in Nigeria since 2005 and offers six services with weekly calls in Apapa, Tincan and Onne. The group has 107 staff members in Nigeria, with shipping and logistics activities as well as the container terminal in Lekki that will be operating in 2023.
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