Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie noodles, has expressed its support for state governments in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The firm said in a statement that it acknowledged that in times of crisis, particularly when movement was being restricted, food availability was a challenge for the people, especially the vulnerable and underprivileged.
To bring succour to the people, the company said it had donated thousands of cartons of noodles as well as other food items to Nigerians through the state governments.
“The donation is to alleviate the challenges faced by many households in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and to help solve the hunger-induced problems occasioned by the lockdown,” the statement read.
Speaking at the presentation of 10,000 cartons of Indomie noodles to the Ogun State government, the Group Public Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods, Mr Tope Ashiwaju, said the donation was to support the efforts of government at various levels during these challenging times.
The company said the donation to the Ogun State government covered areas in Abeokuta, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, and the isolation centre in Ikenne.
Dufil said the gesture was in addition to the 1,000 cartons of Indomie noodles and 500 cartons of power pasta delivered to the Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt recently.
Ashiwaju said, “We understand the challenges faced by governments in providing support to different households at this difficult time. Therefore, we thought it imperative for us as a brand to collaborate with them to lighten the burden faced by families in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We hope to help minimise the impact of the lockdown instituted to curb the spread of the virus and provide emergency food solutions to different households.
“Dufil is committed to making life better for every household, even at this difficult period brought upon (us) by the coronavirus. We believe that continuous access to healthy and nutritious meals should not be a source of concern to any family, hence, the supply of Indomie noodles and other food items to state governments for onward distribution to households following their earmarked models.”
Dufil also hailed medical personnel who are caring for infected people and helping to curb the spread of the virus in the country.
It urged Nigerians to continue to abide by the advice prescribed by the World Health Organisation, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other health agencies to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As of Saturday, the NCDC had recorded 305 COVID-19 cases in Nigeria. While 58 patients had been discharged, seven had died.
To curb the virus spread, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), had on March 29 directed a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states.
But some states had also installed similar measures.