Seven-Up boosts Nigeria’s Covid-19 effort with donation to food relief projects

The company on Monday announced it would be donating 2 million bottles of its drinking water brand, Aquafina, and other beverages from its portfolio as well as allocating its media assets to help sensitise people in grassroots communities.

Ziad Maalouf, managing director, SBC, said this is the company’s way of supporting vulnerable communities during this tough time.

Maalouf expressed his gratitude and admiration for those at the forefront in the fight against Covid-19, stating that SBC believes that people are stronger together when they take collective action to help each other stay safe.

“As we face a global pandemic caused by Covid-19, Seven-Up Bottling Company (SBC) would like to express its solidarity with every Nigerian, every healthcare worker, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health, state governments and the Federal Government in its entirety,” the company said in a statement.  

With more cases of the COVID-19 pandemic being recorded across the country, the company is hoping its media campaign could help curb the spread and ensure the virus is beaten, together.

So far, Nigeria has had 224 confirmed cases, with 27 recoveries and five deaths. A total of 14 states in the country have now recorded at least one case, with the most cases occurring in Lagos State, which was placed on a 14-day lockdown by the Federal Government since Monday, March 31, 2020, along with Abuja and Ogun State.

To assist citizens of the state at this time, the Lagos State government launched the Emergency Food Response Project, with focus on those in vulnerable communities. Seven-Up’s donation of 1 million bottles to the state now places the state government in a better position to reach more people, the company said.

As part of its statement announcing its donation, Seven-Up Bottling Company also expressed its commitment to assist even more state governments as the entire nation works to beat the COVID-19 pandemic.

With media assets that have a nationwide reach, the company will also be providing various states with the sensitisation of the populace needed to limit community transmission. The media sensitisation campaign is in partnership with celebrated Nollywood director, Niyi Akinmolayan.