By Adedapo Adesanya
Professional and consultancy service firm, PwC Nigeria, has instituted a N100 million intervention fund to support individuals, businesses and government in responding to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
The company in a statement it issued said that the COVID-19 intervention fund tagged PwC Cares was in line with its purpose of building trust in society and solving important problems.
It clarified that it consists of a number of initiatives targeted at various sections of society including vulnerable households, health workers and small businesses.
The firm is also leveraging on its knowledge and resources around business and the economy to support governments both at the federal and state levels in their economic response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation.
Speaking on the PwC Cares initiative, Mr Uyi Akpata, country and regional senior partner for PwC in West Africa, said, “As well as having serious implications for people’s health and the healthcare services, COVID-19 is having a significant impact on businesses and the economy particularly for Nigeria at this time given our dwindling resources and high level of poverty.
“As a firm, we are supporting a number of initiatives aimed at addressing the health and economic challenges in Nigeria.”
He said that notably, PwC is supporting the CBN led Coalition Against COVID-19 by the setup of a Project Management Office and providing project monitoring and evaluation support valued at about 50 Million in the first instance.
According to him, the company is also providing food items to at least 5,500 vulnerable households, as well as personal protective equipment (PPEs) for frontline healthcare workers in the Lagos, Ogun, Imo, Edo, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Kano states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The firm noted that the donations of food items and medical materials which is valued at N50 million was made possible through voluntary donations from partners, staff, and alumni community who have risen to the occasion in line with the firm’s value of care and agenda of having greater societal purpose.
This is in addition to pro-bono complementary business continuity support services to small businesses employing between five to 50 employees who undertake to retain all their staff during this period, it stated.
