UBA Donates NGN5 billion ($14 million) to Combat COVID-19 Virus in Africa

UBA Donates NGN5 billion ($14 million) to Combat COVID-19 Virus in Africa

The United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) recently announced a donation of over NGN5 billion ($14 million), through the UBA Foundation, to start a comprehensive pan-African response to the fight against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. This announcement was made through their website and social media platforms.

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 program will be allocated as follows:

•             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.

•             Free Telemedicine Call Centre facility.

The pan-African bank will fund a medical Centre immediately in Lagos, Nigeria, with beds for isolation and ICU facilities. This would be managed and operated in partnership with Heirs Holdings’ healthcare subsidiary, Avon Medical Hospital.

Read also: Access Bank, Dangote Foundation and Others join forces to build 1,000 bed tents for COVID-19

In addition, UBA is providing a free telemedicine platform that would be led by a physician to provide direct access to medical advice to citizens in compliance with social distancing requirements.

UBA Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, stated that: “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’, he added.

For more than seven decades, UBA has been providing superior financial services to small businesses, corporations, governments, institutions and individuals globally.

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.