Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its partners have donated ambulance and other medical consumables to Oyo state as part of efforts to contain the pandemic in the country.
The items donated to Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Ondo States were received in Lagos by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Olorunnimbe Mamora and Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
It was made in Lagos by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on behalf of NNPC and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), comprising of 26 indigenous oil companies.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Sylva said the donation was part of the N21 billion intervention initiative on the COVID-19 pandemic by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.
Sylva said apart from the six ambulances, the states would also get thousands of testing kits, Personal Protective Equipment including face masks, bodysuits, hand gloves and sanitisers.
He said similar donations had earlier been made by the oil and gas sector in Abuja, Rivers and Bayelsa, adding that collaboration was needed to defeat coronavirus.
According to him, the gesture will be extended to all states of the federation in line with the mandate of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 within the coming weeks.
Speaking on behalf of the South-West governors, Sanwo-Olu said the donation would be used to support the critical infrastructure that was a challenge to the health care industry.
“I want to assure you that we will put it to judicious use and we will ensure that all the items are delivered to their respective states.
“They will go immediately to the front line and will be deployed to ensure that our people get well and come out of this pandemic alive.”