Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Nigeria’s leading end to end financial services provider, has further strengthened its support for the government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through the donation of test kits to the Lagos State Government.

As the novel coronavirus enters community transmission stage, it becomes expedient to increase tests, hence the timeliness of the donation of test kits by the Stanbic IBTC group. The kits were officially presented to Lagos State Government at the Lagos State Biobank, Mainland Hospital, Yaba on Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Dr. Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, reiterated the importance of supporting the Lagos State government’s testing capacity, considering the upsurge in the number of confirmed cases in the state. He said “Lagos State has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in Nigeria since the outbreak of the virus. Being the most susceptible city in the country, we must not relent in our efforts to help in identifying those who have been infected so that proper treatments can be administered to them.”

L-R: Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami, Head, Marketing and Communications, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC; Dr. Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC; Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam, Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health and Incident Manager, PHEDC, COVID-19 Response, Lagos State; Dr. Babatunde Saka, Technical Consultant, Biosecurity, Lagos State and Global Executive Secretary, GET Consortium and Dr. Bamidele Mutiu, Director, Lagos State Biobank of Consultant Clinical Microbiology during the Donation of COVID-19 Test Kits to Lagos State at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos state.

He further noted: “Proper testing precedes treatment and the requisite treatment and care saves lives. We have made various contributions towards fighting the pandemic and we also deem it necessary to support the government in the area of testing. All hands must continue to be on deck until the virus is finally defeated.”

The representative of the Lagos State government; Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam, Director Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health & Incident Manager, COVID 19 response, expressed gratitude on the donation of the test kits. He said: “The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is a joint responsibility and working together to defeat this common enemy is the most potent way of overcoming this pandemic. We are delighted that a leading financial institution like Stanbic IBTC recognises this and has continuously supported the government in this cause.”

Dr. Abdus-Salam further said that the donated kits would increase the state’s testing capacity, thereby leading to early detection and proper care and treatment for those found to have been infected. He also called on other organisations to emulate the Stanbic IBTC example in supporting the government’s effort in the fight to curb the spread of the virus.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC in line with its Corporate Social Initiatives, with health as one of its pillars, has made financial donations to various governments and institutions since the confirmation of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria. The other States that will benefit from the donation of test kits include Borno, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Ondo, Rivers as well as the FCT. Past efforts include financial donations to the Coalition Against COVID-19, Fate Foundation and Akwa Ibom State government.

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