The Founder of the BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, has announced a N3.3billion donation to Kano and Lagos states and the presidential task force to fight the novel COVID-19 disease.
Rabiu is worried by the rising cases of COVID-19, particularly in Kano and Lagos, despite efforts to curb the spread of the virus, according to a statement from BUA on Sunday.
The donation is in addition to BUA’s earlier contributions to the private sector-led CACOVID coalition and donations to other states.
Another Kano-born business mogul and Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, had also built a 250-bed isolation center at the Sani Abacha Stadium in the city and donated it to the Kano state government.
Rabiu had, on 26 March, 2020, announced a donation of N1bn cash through the BUA Foundation to strengthen national response to fight COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
He also placed an order for an additional donation of equipment and medical supplies, including testing kits and medical protective gear to nine states in Nigeria.
A day after, BUA redeemed its pledge by way of a confirmed funds transfer to the COVID-19 relief fund account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
A statement from its Corporate Communications said in addition, the company also announced another donation of N300million to Sokoto, Edo and Ogun states to assist in galvanizing a coordinated response and adequate preparedness in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in this states.
Announcing the new donation to Lagos and Kano, Rabiu said Kano, which had seen a spike in the number of cases lately, including hundreds of unexplained deaths, would get N2billion, while Lagos which had the highest number of confirmed cases in Nigeria would get N1 billion.
He said the sum of N300million would go to the Presidential task force.
Rabiu said the N3.3 billion grant, which he was committing through the BUA Foundation would be managed by a working group made up of the presidential task force, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other stakeholders in equipping two existing permanent facilities in Kano and Lagos States, which he described as the two epicentres of the virus in Nigeria.
The statement read in part: “I view with deep concern, the increased rate of spread of the coronavirus especially in Kano and Lagos despite concerted collective efforts to curb the spread and effect of the virus in Nigeria. I also wish to commend the leadership shown by the taskforce as well as the NCDC in this fight. However, we all know more needs to be done.
“Based on what is going on especially in Kano at the moment, we have decided in the immediate, to commit a 3.3 billion naira grant to a working group made of the presidential task force, NCDC and other stakeholders in equipping two existing permanent facilities in Kano and Lagos States – whilst collaborating with the teaching hospitals in those states.
“To this end, I am immediately committing and making available – through the BUA Foundation, two grants of the two billion naira for the Kano-based intervention and one billion naira for Lagos State being the two epicentres of this virus in Nigeria.
“A sum of N300million will also be made available immediately in cash to the presidential task force to assist with logistical and operational activities of the task force. This grants in addition to BUA’s earlier contributions to the private sector led CACOVID coalition and donations to other states.”
According to data released by NCDC on Saturday, Lagos remains the epicentre of the virus with 689 confirmed cases.
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT has 138 cases, Kano-77, Ogun-35, Osun-32, Gombe-30, Katsina-30 and Borno-30.
Others are Edo-22,Oyo-18, Kwara-11, Akwa Ibom-11, Bauchi-11, Kaduna-10, Ekiti-8, Ondo-4, Delta-6 and Rivers- 3.
Jigawa, Enugu, Niger, Abia, Zamfara and Sokoto have two confirmed cases each while Benue, Anambra, Adamawa, Plateau and Imo have one case each.
Governors of the 36 States of the federation have advised the federal government to allow internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies as the second 14-day lockdown on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and Ogun States in order to stop the spread of the novel COVID-19 ends on midnight Monday.
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