Total E& P contributed N1.2bn to fight COVID-19 in Nigeria – Official
By Abisola THOMPSON
Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited on Thursday said it contributed N1.2 billion to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 effort to combat the pandemic.
The oil giant said it was also in discussion with the government on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for Nigerians.
Mr Alex Aghedo, Executive General Manager, Operations Support Services, Total E&P Nigeria, made the disclosure at a virtual news conference.
He said: “Total and 30 other upstream operators in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry, led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), donated N21 billion to the federal government’s COVID-19 effort.
“In the first phase, the donation covered three thematic areas, namely, provision of medical consumables; deployment of logistics and in patient support services as well as medical infrastructure.
“Total’s contribution was $3.2 million (N1.2 billion). ”
According to him, the company also carried out other interventions including donation of hospital beds, surgical ventilators, dialysis machines and face masks to the Lagos and Rivers State Governments.
Aghedo said : “In collaboration with the Lagos Ministry of Health and our partners, we decided to build and donate a medical oxygen plant at the Gbagada General Hospital.
”We believe that this facility would be useful even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It would not only help improve the state’s capacity to care for COVID-19 patients but also further strengthen capacity to manage other conditions associated with oxygen deficiency.”
He said the facility was in the last stages of construction and would be handed over to the Lagos State Government very soon.
