MTN Partners AU, NCDC, Others To Combat COVID-19
MTN continues to show complete commitment to its GoodTogether mantra, which expresses its corporate philosophy that collaborating with stakeholders – individuals, corporate organisations and government institutions alike – is a sure way to improve the health and socio-economic conditions of the people on the continent.
Following the announcement of its partnership with the African Union with a donation of US$25 million to support the continental body’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, a delegation from MTN Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu to brief him on the donation to AU and the benefits for Nigeria.
The delegation included Chairman, MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe OFR, the incoming CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola and the Chief Corporate Service Officer, MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo. The MTN-AU partnership will help secure 7 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for health workers in Nigeria and across Africa, as they are at the most risk of contracting the virus and spreading them to uninfected patients.
This is not the first time MTN is supporting the efforts of the NCDC and the Nigerian government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying problems. In the fourth phase of What Can We Do Together initiative, the MTN Foundation collaborated with the NCDC to help communities navigate the devastating challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic by executing health related interventions specific to the needs of communities across Nigeria that are most vulnerable to the pandemic.
It also, through Y’ello Hope supported the government with analytical response management, communication systems and risk profiling and provided over N1.4 billion worth of airtime, data, and devices for connectivity support to health agencies, including NCDC. This is in addition to the donation of PPEs and other essential materials to the NCDC.
MTN recognises the power of collaboration and remains a staunch advocate for the collective efforts of individuals, organisations and government in the fight for better outcomes in the midst of a pandemic. The Chairman, MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe OFR, during the announcement of Y’ello Hope package, put it aptly: “The threat that COVID-19 represents to Nigeria requires an unprecedented response from the public and the private sector. We must all work together to develop and deliver the solutions that will allow us to contain this threat and protect the most vulnerable in our communities across the country.”
