As Nigeria grapples to manage the Covid-19 Pandemic, a Nigerian real estate and property development company, Octo5 Holdings has pledged to empower 300 families in its host community in Lafiaji.

This is even as the company is working with its partners to donate a 100-bed isolation facility to the Lagos state government to help in the fight against the virus.

A statement issued on Tuesday by Babajide Odusolu, CEO Octo5 Holdings, said that the company also planned to empower small businesses.

Also read: COVID-19 10 times deadlier than swine flu — WHO

According to him, the monies originally appropriated for commercial advertising has now been re-budgeted for Covid-19 sensitisation.

“The world changed in December 2019. Unfortunately, we did not notice until it was almost too late.

Suddenly, social distancing, self-isolation and a work-from-home culture have become the new normal.

“Now, countries, businesses and individuals are being forced to make tough choices to handle the realities of a world battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Here in Nigeria, safety precautions and restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus have exposed the brutal limitations of our social infrastructure and compelled us to finally confront the need to be our neighbour’s keeper and address the needs of the most vulnerable among us.

“Like all other businesses, COVID-19 has disrupted our workflow at Octo5 Holdings and all our sites have been compelled to shut down.

“However, this crisis has challenged us to live by our creed that the community is at the core of our being.

“For that reason, about a month ago, we decided to devote our entire commercial advertising budget towards a public awareness campaign to teach Nigerians how to be safety conscious and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“In addition, we supported the Young Presidents’ Organisation’s (YPO) initiative to build an isolation centre for the use of the Lagos State Ministry of Health at the Landmark Centre Lekki.

“Upon completion, this isolation centre will accommodate 100 beds for positive and asymptomatic cases.

“We are also providing food items to 300 families in Lafiaji Village; the host community of our Ocean Bay Estate in Lekki, Lagos State,” he said.

He said that the moves by the company were stop-gap measures, having taken cognizance of the resulting economic losses when the pandemic eventually abates.

According to him, the economic loses will demand a total review of work culture, lifestyle and career plans.

“We foresee that Nigerians, especially millennials, will require economic support to prepare them for a post-covid19 world.

“It is why we are launching a micro-business support initiative to provide seed capital to Nigerian Millenials who meet our selection criteria to weather the realities of a post-COVID-19 world.

“We hope this will kickstart a conversation which will lead other businesses to support SMEs which would have been affected by this crisis.

“Our vision is simple – building wholesome communities that are sustainable and ensuring that the majority of Nigerians are enabled to live freely and fully.

“That vision starts with staying safe. We are doing our part and hope you will #TakeResponsibility and do yours too as you stay safe, stay home and help stop the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

Vanguard