The Seven-Up Bottling Company has announced a donation of 1 million bottles of their Aquafina drinking water brand and other beverages to the Lagos State Emergency Food Relief, as well as 1 million bottles to other states. This donation is aimed at providing aid to various state governments in catering for citizens in vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the donation, the company outlined plans to support initiatives aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus in Nigeria.
One key part of the plan is a sensitization campaign in partnership with renowned Nollywood director Niyi Akinmolayan, who will produce educational video content targeted at grassroots communities with support from the company’s media assets. The Nigerian Minister of Health, during a recent press briefing, mentioned the early signs of community transmission and hoped that the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja would help slow things down. This makes the Seven-Up media education campaign especially timely for grassroots communities.
Nigeria’s first COVID-19 case was recorded on February 28, 2020, with over 200 more cases since then. Due to the growing numbers, the President of the Federal Republic declared a lockdown in the three states with the highest number of cases.
Mr. Ziad Maalouf, the Managing Director of SBC, expressed that this initiative is the company’s way of supporting vulnerable communities during this challenging time. He also conveyed gratitude and admiration for those at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19, emphasizing the importance of collective action in staying safe and supporting each other.
The statement also reminded people to adhere to containment measures as advised by the authorities.
So far, the virus has spread to 14 states in Nigeria, with 5 recorded deaths.