SIFAX Group commits N130m to COVID-19 fight

• As FG disburses N446.6m to 22,380 poor households in Kaduna

By Richard Adeniyi

The SIFAX Group, a group of companies with investment in Maritime, Aviation, Oil & Gas, among others, has committed N130 million as support fund towards the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SIFAX Group Managing Director,  Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, in a  statement signed by the Group’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr Muyiwa Akande.

According to Oyinloye, the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 will get the sum of N70 million, while Lagos State and Ogun State governments will get N15 million and N10 million respectively.

He said that the Nigerian Ports Authority would get N5 million.

“The company, through its foundation, the Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation, is also committing about N30 million as relief support funds to the poor across the 36 states of the federation,” Oyinloye said.

He said that the company believed that this donation would help flatten the curve and aid in the collective fight against the pandemic.

“We are delighted to be presenting this support fund to both the federal and state governments.

“As a company, we believe that healthy people translates to a healthy nation; that is why we are leaving no stone unturned in our support towards the eradication of this pandemic in Nigeria.

“Our foundation, Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation, is also committing funds into making sure that the poor are adequately taken care of.

“We commend the visible and proactive efforts of government at all levels and believe that this collective effort will go a long way in flattening the curve and we will overcome soonest,” he said.

In another development, the Federal Government on Tuesday began the disbursement of N446.6 million to 22,380 poor and vulnerable households in nine benefiting Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, under the National Cash Transfer Programme.

The Focal Person on Social Investment Programme in the state, Mrs Saude Atoyebi, disclosed this in Kaduna, noting that each household would receive N20,000.

Atoyebi explained that the N20,000 was payment for the months of January, February, March and April at N5,000 per month.

She said that the disbursement, which commenced in Sanga, Kachia and Lere Local Government Areas would be extended to Kauru on Wednesday, April 8.

She added that beneficiaries in the remaining five local government areas of Ikara, Kubau, Birnin Gwari, Chikun and Kajuru would be paid on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

She explained that the beneficiaries were from the National Social Register and the State Social Register of poor and vulnerable households.

According to her, the money will significantly help benefitting households to cope with the hardship being experienced following the lockdown of some states to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

“The National Cash Transfer also known as Households Uplifting Programme is one of the four Federal Government’s Social Investment programmes which commenced in 2016.

“The implementation of the programmes is being carried out at the state level through the State Cash Transfer Unit,” she said.

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