Total Upstream, partners support people living with HIV in Lagos

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/National Petroleum Investment Management Services ((NNPC/NAPIMS) and Total Upstream Nigeria Limited with partners- CNOOC, SAPETRO and PRIME- have collaborated to support people living with HIV in Lagos with bags of palliatives within the period of the lockdown as a result of COVID 19.

Disclosing this during the presentation of the seven hundred and fifty-five bags of items to representatives of people living with HIV at the Secretariat of Nigeria Business Coalition against AIDS, General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Total Upstream, Wokoma Ajukura, who represented the Managing Director, Mike Sangster, said the company and its partners saw the need to people living with HIV/AIDS at this time due to the challenges confronting them in terms of assessing the needed treatment and drugs and healthy eating to enable the drugs work well.

He said “Our decision to support the People living with HIV is based on the vulnerability of the people living with HIV and the fact that Lagos is on lockdown, thus the decision to support them with some welfare palliatives such as food items and livelihood support to enable them to comply with the stay- at- home order”.

Speaking on the initiative and partnership, Group Managing Director of NAPIMS, Mr. Bala Wunti, who was represented by Supervisor, Community Relations, Mrs. Bunmi Lawson, said the action was in line with the company’s goals of  “touching your lives in many positive ways”.

She said NNPC and its partners were committed to supporting any initiative that could alleviate the discomfort Nigerians and encouraged Nigerians to follow instructions of experts such as stay-at-home if it was not necessary to go out, wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds under running water and observe social distancing.

Speaking, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA), Gbenga Alabi, commended the partners of Total Upstream for the initiative and support of NiBUCAA in its various advocacy programmes as true corporate brands committed to the country’s development.

Also, Chief Executive officer Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Dr. Monsurat Adeleke, commended Total Upstream and partners for providing leadership and strategic direction at this critical time in the life of people living with HIV/AIDS.

She disclosed that the initiative was a welcome development that deserves commendation and adoption by other corporate organisations, especially at this time.

The collaboration with Lagos State Agency for Control of AIDS, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the coordination of the NiBUCAA was aimed at ensuring that antiretroviral drugs get to the vulnerable people in Lagos State.

In his acceptance speech, Coordinator Lagos State chapter of Network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Akpan, commended Total Upstream and partners for remembering and supporting them at this period and said that the products will no doubt provide succor.

NNPC/Total Partners are passionate about the subject of HIV/AIDS with over a decade of investments in awareness campaigns in 25 states of the country.