The International Breweries Plc., has backed the effort of Anambra, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Rivers states among others in alleviating the hardship induced by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Nigerians.
From monetary donations to provision of testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers, the member of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) family has collaborated with government, partners with stakeholders to reduce the spread of the disease.
Not less than 30,000 bottles of hand sanitizers has been distributed to these states, hospitals government institutions. About 60,000 bottles non-alcoholic beverages produced by the company has been donated to support the food distribution drive by the governments in various states.
Earlier in the implementation of the stay-home directive to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the company donated N10 million to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for the procurement of test kits via its Trophy Stout brand in an e-concert led by popular hip-hop star, TuFace.
Hugo Dias Rocha, IBPlc’s managing director in a statement on the company’s COVID-19 intervention, said it was crucial to take solution-driven actions which will shape the future of the country. He reiterated the firm’s commitment to exploring areas of further potential collaboration and support with stakeholders, especially government.
“As an organization, we are always looking to support our local communities and are positive that our donation will assist and support the government and our communities greatly in the fight against the spread of this pandemic,” Rocha stated.
“We appreciate and lend our voice to the various initiatives by the federal government of Nigeria, the state governments, the private sector to which we belong and all other sectors, organizations, individual and players that have all teamed together to assist in curbing the spread of COVID-19. We stand with you, and indeed the world, in the joint resolution to eradicate this virus and its impact on communities and economies.”
Temitope Oguntokun, legal and corporate affairs director, in the same vein, expressed the company’s commitment to its core values of health, safety, environment and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He said while most of the donations have been distributed across the states and communities, some were still ongoing.
Apart from the donations, IBPlc has been supporting its employees with resources and consistent COVID-19 information to stay safe and healthy.
“We believe this intervention will go a long way to reduce the further spread of the virus while also boosting our already challenged economy through youth entrepreneurship. International Breweries appreciates the healthcare workers and all frontline care givers who are the true heroes of this time and urge our stakeholders to continue to comply with the NCDC and World Health Organization (WHO) – recommended directive,” Oguntokun urged.
