Nigeria’s private sector has been supportive in the on-going battle against the Covid-19 pandemic which is currently ravaging the world with numbers of confirmed cases and deaths increasing astronomically daily in Nigeria and globally.
Operators in the Nigeria’s private sector are fighting from different fronts such as donation of cash, medical materials, foods and setting up of isolation centers.
Last week, Nigeria’s foremost luxury and lifestyle company, Polo Limited, joined forces with other critical stakeholders in the fight to contain further spread of the deadly virus with donations and visits to different groups in Lagos.
For Polo, an indigenous firm which has inspired Nigeria’s upward mobile class of individuals to stand out in every occasion with luxury goods, especially watches, this time, charted a new path from norm of donations to checkmate Covid-19.
In its thoughtful intervention, the over 30-year-old company took a laudable decision to present relief materials and food items directly to the less privileged in the society in different parts of Lagos State. The delegation equally visited health correspondents in Lagos to salute their courage in the present war.
The company’s delegation led by its Managing Director, John Obayuwana and Executive Director, Jennifer Obayuwana visited the old, displaced and disabled in Ebute-Metta, Makoko, Muri-Okunola, Ilaje, Mushin, Idi-araba, Iju-Ajuwon, Agege as well as families of the men of some Nigerian Police.
The direct palliative to the less privileged and downtrodden in the society is commendable as the lockdown aimed to slow the spread of Covid-19 has hit not only Nigeria’s economy and businesses but the underprivileged who are now begging for food on the streets.
John Obayunwana underscored the visits when he said that “These are tough times, and everyone needs to be their brother’s keeper at such difficult times”.
He added, ‘We wish we could visit every health center, orphanage, frontline hero, but that will be spreading ourselves thin. However, the much we can do we have done and will continue to play our part in alleviating the pain of some in society during these uncertain times”.
Speaking further, Jenifer Obayuwana, Executive Director, Polo Group said, ‘We believe playing our part at such critical time in human history is not just the necessary thing to do, but the right thing that must be done. It is no more business as usual, Covid 19 has exposed a new normal that cannot afford us to look the other way. Teamwork is one of our core values at Polo Limited and this is what has played out today’.
The visit to health correspondents attached to the Governor’s office at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos to encourage and salute their courage in providing health news, this time especially as it concerns coronavirus was equally noteworthy by such an organization. The health correspondents have been in the frontlines reporting from the theatre of war. “Your work has done a great deal to stem the tide of fake news which was becoming an ‘infodemic’ and had the capacity to worsen an already bad situation’, Obayunwana said.
“By going to the isolation centers, by gathering for news briefings almost on a daily basis, by going to different communities in different parts of the state to report news about the pandemic as it breaks, you have put yourselves in harm’s way and such is very commendable”.
The Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Gboyega Akosile welcoming the delegation appreciated the visit and gesture in glowing terms adding that it takes a really thoughtful company to think of donating items to journalists working in a war situation.
He commented: “it has been an unusual period for the press corps since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Lagos and they have played a very significant role during this period. It is that dedication that has made a company like yours think of them in this period because journalists are not often thought of by most donors”, Akosile said.
While much of the global attention is focused on the human toll of the pandemic which has claimed over 270,000 deaths from 3.85 million cases world-wide with Nigeria accounting for 107 deaths from 3,5 cases, (as at Friday 8, 2020), the economic implication is equally huge.
While Federal and state governments accentuate various donations by players in the private sector as helpful to the execution of the war against Covid-19, the strategy of organizations like Polo Group to directly touch the lives of the poor in the society who are facing economic hardships and health journalists is worthy of emulation by corporate organizations and philanthropists.
