Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc has donated N50 million to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.
The donation was made into a fund set up by 54gene, an African genomics research, services and development company working closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the bank, the money will help increase Covid-19 testing capacity in the country by up to 1,000 additional tests a day, by buying testing instruments and critical biosafety materials such as biosafety cabinets and personal protective equipment urgently needed to keep frontline healthcare workers safe.
The bank stated that the procured equipment will be installed in general hospitals and laboratories across the country, and will remain in place even after the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to be used in the case of future outbreaks.
In addition, there will also be extensive training and support to medical practitioners and volunteers working across the country to curb the menace.
Announcing the donation, Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Emeka Emuwa, said community is one of the core values at the bank noting that there is no better time to live this value than now.
According to him, a critical need for the country at this time is to scale up its testing capabilities and give a better chance of slowing the spread of the virus.
