Our initiatives to tackle Covid-19 in Nigeria

Eni's subsidiaries in Nigeria are active participants in the O&G Industry Intervention Initiative on COVID-19, an industry-wide effort led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and including members of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Independent Petroleum Producers, Indigenous Petroleum Companies, Service Providers and Downstream Players. Across the 36 States of the Federation, the Initiative aims to support the provision of medical infrastructure, particularly in the areas of Diagnostic and Protective kits, Logistics and In-Patient Support Systems, and Intensive Care Facilities and Auxiliary/Overflow Hospitals. The execution of this agenda was formally launched on 26th March 2020.

In furtherance of its own commitments under the Initiative, NAOC JV - NNPC (60%), OANDO (20%), and NAOC (20%) - contributed to this budget in line with other major Oil Companies. It thereby facilitated the delivery of a Temporary Isolation Centre in Asaba, Delta State, which was commissioned on 13th June 2020. Present at the commissioning, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Company. With the new Centre, the Government is better positioned to deal with the risk of any future upswing in COVID-19 cases in the State and surroundings.

On 2nd May 2020, the Industry Initiative, co-sponsored by NAOC JV, continued its commitment by starting the construction of an Infectious Diseases Centre in Yenagoa, to serve the Niger Delta Region. The Centre, designed to also render general medical services to the public, will continue to be of use beyond the pandemic to the people living in Bayelsa State and its environs. Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony, the Minister of State, Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva, described the hospital as the first of its kind in the whole of South-South.

Beyond its contribution to the O&G Industry Initiative, NAOC JV is also committed to distribute relief materials to the local communities within its operational areas, in an effort to alleviate the hardships many are facing as result of the nation-wide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Items distributed are mainly rice and vegetable oil to sustain indigent households through the lockdown. The project is implemented in collaboration with local Government institutions and community leaders to ensure the seamless and equitable distribution of relief items. So far, about 362 tons of rice (7,250 bags of 50kg each) and over 16,000 litres of vegetable oil have been distributed to over 168 communities in the Company’s operational areas of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Imo States.

These efforts collectively stand on the foundation of NAOC JV’s footprint in these communities. Over the years, the Company has carried out sustainable initiatives in its host communities, including in the area of access to quality healthcare. As part of its interventions, NAOC JV has provided modern medical facilities and facilitated access to healthcare delivery for women, children, the elderly, men, and vulnerable groups. NAOC JV will continue in its support of its host communities, and the Country, through the pandemic and into the future.