United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), has once again showcased its unprecedented leadership quality in the banking sector particularly in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as it announced on Thursday, a whopping donation of over N5 billion ($14 million), through the UBA Foundation, to catalyse a comprehensive pan-African response to the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.
The donation will provide significant and much needed
support to Nigeria and 19 other African countries, by supplying relief
materials, critical care facilities, and financial support to Governments. The
UBA support programme will be allocated as follows:
N1 billion ($2.8 million) to Lagos State Government in
Nigeria
N500 million ($1.4 million) to Nigeria’s Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja
N1 billion ($2.8 million) to the remaining 35 states in
Nigeria
N1.5 billion ($4.2 million) to UBA’s presence countries in
Africa
N1 billion ($2.8 million) for Medical Centres with equipment
and supplies
Free Telemedicine call centre facility
The pan-African bank will fund a medical centre immediately
in Lagos with beds for isolation and ICU facilities, 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.
UBA Group Chairman Tony O. Elumelu, stated ‘This is a time
when we must all play our part. This global epidemic 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.
“We commend the efforts of governments and we are keen to
partner and contribute our resources to the collective effort, that will ensure
the response to the pandemic is swift and effective”.
Operating in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, the United Bank for Africa has a strong record of supporting its communities, through challenging times.