The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) said it has invested over $2.6million (N988,000,000.00) in the past seven years in form of Scholarship Program for Tertiary Institutions and Skill Acquisition programs for those interested in learning a skill among its host communities.
According to the Managing Director of WAPCo, Mr. Gregory Germani, the past months have clearly shown us how much of a village the world is now, for a virus to travel about 10,000 kilometers and have as much effect on the world as the COVID-19 virus has.
Represented by Deputy Manager, External Relations, West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, Mr Temitope Sodeinde, Germani said “Having seen the general lack of protective equipment and medical supplies for medical personnel around the world, WAPCo felt it necessary to extend a hand of fellowship by supporting the Lagos State and Ogun State Governments with a few needed materials.
“We are, however, grateful for the leadership that has been provided to curb the spread of this menace, especially by the Ogun State Government, through the Incident Commander, His Excellency the Governor,Prince Dapo Abiodun, and his lieutenants.”
He said as partners in progress, WAPCo has invested a lot in the development of communities within which it works.
“So far we have invested $2.6million over the last 7 year in schools, hospitals, and water supply points built by WAPCo to foster good neighbourliness. We launched the Livelihood Program, which enables children from within our areas of operation to have access to education. This is either in the form of a Scholarship Program for Tertiary Institutions and a Skill Acquisition program for those interested in learning a skill.
“Today, our communities can boast of first class graduates in Medicine, Engineering and the likes, as well as proud business owners who are daily improving on their outputs in response to the daily need for artisans in our society. Today, we are here, not only as representatives of the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, but also as a part of humanity,” he said.
Receiving the donated PPE and other medical equipment on behalf of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, thanked them management of WAPCO Limited for donating PPE and vital medical items to Ogun State in fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun, I thank you for these donations. The PPE and other medical items donated came at the appropriate time when our health workers who are at the frontline are constantly exposed. We do know that over 40 of them have been infected and we in Ogun State are very proactive in ensuring that hopefully none of our frontline officers get exposed or found themselves in that situation.
“So with this, you are actually partners in progress in ensuring that we protect our frontline workers and we will make judicious use of the PPE and other medical items which you have presented to us. So once again, thank you very much and please give our regards to other senior executives of WAPCO,” she said.
WAPCo owns and operates the West African Gas Pipeline, a 678km pipeline that transports natural gas from Nigeria to the West African Region in a safe and reliable manner. It has a metering station in Ota, Ogun State and a Compressor Station in Badagry, Lagos. Between these two locations in Nigeria, WAPCo owns a 57km Right of Way that runs through more than 50 major communities.