As part of measures to put in place adequate infrastructure across the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-led Oil & Gas Industry Intervention Initiative on COVID-19, has allocated over N11billion for the construction of state-of-the-art hospitals across the country.
It said the amount earmarked for the construction was part of the ongoing N21 billion intervention initiative on the COVID-19 pandemic by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry, thus its commitment to ensuring all states of the federation benefitted from the health infrastructures.
The corporation’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said 14 medical centers in total and two Intensive Care Unit (ICU) expansion and upgrade would be delivered across the federation as part of the intervention initiative.
Kyari, through a statement released to newsmen on Thursday by the Corporation’s spokesperson, reiterated that the oil industry’s commitment to delivering the health infrastructures across Nigeria to support governments’ efforts in its fight against the pandemic and other future health challenges.
Part of the commitment, the GMD stressed, was the allocation of 53 percent of the total N21billion coronavirus intervention by the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry to improve on healthcare delivery through the construction of medical infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones in the country, while 26 percent of the intervention funding was allocated for the deployment of logistics and in-patient support systems and 21 percent of the sum for provision of medical consumables across the country.
Kyari added that the team had held groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of 200-bed Infectious Diseases Hospitals with an in-situ laboratory in Bayelsa, Borno, and Katsina States, adding that other locations are billed to follow.
He added that medical consumables comprising respirators, protective suits, and test kids as well as logistics and in-patient support systems among which are ambulances, ventilators and beddings and laboratory equipment have been delivered to 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“States that have received medical consumables, as well as logistics and in-patient support systems, are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Plateau and Rivers State as well as the FCT.
“Intervention is provided in kind by donors using internal transparent procurement processes driven with a clear governance structure of the various coalescing companies involved in the initiative,” the statement read.
The Guild reports that Oil Industry Intervention group is made up of the NNPC, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers (DPPMA), Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).
