UBA commits N5 billion to fight COVID-19 in Africa
The United Bank for Africa Plc, UBA, has announced a donation of over 5 billion Naira (USD14 million), through the UBA Foundation, to the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across Africa.
A statement from the bank on Thursday indicated that the donation will provide significant and much needed support to Nigeria and 19 other African countries.
The support covers the supplying of relief materials, critical care facilities, and financial support to Governments and other major stakeholders across the continent of Africa.
UBA said the support programme, which was intended to catalyse a comprehensive pan-African response to Covid-19 pandemic, will be allocated to six expenditure heads, namely:
N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to Lagos State Government in Nigeria
N500 million (USD1.4 million) to Nigeria?s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to the remaining 35 states in Nigeria
N1.5 billion (USD4.2 million) to UBA?s presence countries in Africa
N1 billion (USD2.8 million) for Medical Centres with equipment and supplies
Free Telemedicine call centre facility
The pan-African bank said it will fund a medical centre immediately in Lagos, Nigeria, to procure beds for isolation and ICU facilities, which is managed and operated in partnership with Heirs Holdings? healthcare subsidiary, Avon Medical Hospital.
In addition, UBA is providing a free telemedicine platform, that is physician-led, to provide direct access to medical advice to citizens, in compliance with social distancing requirements.
Explaining the rationale for the bank?s intervention, UBA Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, said “this is a time when we must all play our part. This global pandemic must bring citizens, governments and business leaders together, and quickly.
“As we see a rapidly increasing number of cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria and Africa, the private sector has to work hand in hand with various Governments, in stemming the spread of the global pandemic.
Tony Elumelu who commended the efforts of governments stressed that the UBA group is keen to partner and contribute its resources to the collective effort, that will ensure the response to the pandemic is swift and effective.
Currently operating in 20 African countries, and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, the UBA Plc has a strong record of supporting its communities, through challenging times.
