Ike Amos
Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Total, ExxonMobil, Shell and 30 other oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria, have intervened with over $30 million, an equivalent of N11.4 billion, in the country’s effort to tackle and contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic currently ravaging the country.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, disclosed that the intervention by the oil and gas firms was aimed at supporting healthcare delivery facilities in Nigeria and would cover three key thematic areas especially within this period of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The three thermatic areas, according to him, are provision of medical consumables, deployment of logistics and in-patient support system and delivery of medical infrastructure, adding that the three thematic support initiatives amounted to a total of $30 million and would be delivered in phases starting from March 27, 2020.
Kyari explained that to address the increasing demand for medical services the oil and gas sector would immediately provide medical consumables covering test kits, medical protective suits and ambulances to impacted area.
He added that this would be followed in the next few days with deployment of ventilators, beds and temporary intensive care facilities across the geopolitical zones of the country.
Kyari stated that the 33 partners who contributed to the intervention were drawn from the upstream sector, from the Oil Producers Trade Section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group.
Oil & gas companies grapple with COVID-19, oil price war, incur $50bn capex cuts
He identified some of the companies to include Shell Group of Companies, ExxonMobil Group, Total Group, Chevron Group, Eni Group, Addax Petroleum and Aiteo Eastern Exploration.
Also included are Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited, Oando Oil Limited, Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Pillar Oil Limited, Platform Petroleum Limited, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, and Shoreline Natural Resources.
Others are Suntrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited, Vertex Energy Limited, Waltersmith Petroleum Oil Limited and Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Limited, Amni international Petroleum Company, Dansaki Petroleum Development, Eroton Exploration and Production Company, among many others.
In the downstream sector, he stated that Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) donated N120 million for the provision of 36 ventilators and 1,500 coverall, while MRS donated 2,000 test kits, 1,000 coveralls and N100 million for acquisition of ambulances.
Kyari added that, “Matrix Energy provided N360 million for necessary medical equipment, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) provided 50 ventilators and OVH Energy 200 ambulances for use.
“Also, Eyrie Oil donated 1,500 coveralls and laboratory equipment for one diagonistic centre, Wien, test kits and lab equipment; Bono, Mocoh and Levene oil donated N18 million each.
“In recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigerian population and economy, the Nigeria oil and gas industry under the leadership of the Mele Kyari has embarked on an industry- wide collaborative intervention initiative to combat the pandemic and its attendant impact.
“The intervention initiative is in alignment with the ongoing Federal Government’s efforts and in collaboration with the NCDC to curb the pandemic.”
Kyari noted that health and safety of Nigerians remained paramount to the oil and gas sector stating that the sector was still open for more interventions from all partners.
“As a responsive and responsible industry, we are taking this action to strengthen our collective national resolve in combating this pandemic and its dreadful impact,” he added.
