COVID-19: Private Sector Donations Surpass N19bn

Private sector donations towards the federal government’s fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country have surpassed N19 billion.

The Nigeria Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Relief Fund, which is the body in charge of receiving the donations, revealed this in a statement on Friday.

CACOVID, in a statement on Friday, however said it was still awaiting N3.4 billion which was the sum of pledges yet to be redeemed by some donors.

Globacom Chairman, Mike Adenuga, MTN Nigeria, Lafarge Plc and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc have yet to redeem their individual pledges of N3.4 billion towards the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. 

Adenuga, MTN Nigeria and Lafarge Plc had pledged N1 billion each, while Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc pledged the sum of N400 million to the relief fund being coordinated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

CACOVID, in the statement issued on its behalf by CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, however said it had received a total of N19, 488,500,000 from 47 donors who made pledges to the fund.

The donations are meant to assist the federal government in the fight against COVID-19 in the country. 

As of Friday, April 3, the country had recorded a total of 210 cases of Coronavirus according to figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), with the number expected to rise as more people are being tested for the virus.