Community Stakeholders’ partners are world-class companies with a strong interest in developing systemic solutions to key challenges.
- The Community Stakeholders For Social Good on Tuesday announced the creation of the COVID Sensitization Group.
- The platform, the first of its kind, aims to convene the business community for collective action, protect people’s livelihoods and facilitate business continuity, and mobilize support for the COVID-19 response.
- The platform is created with the support of the people, groups, organizations or businesses that have interest and concern for the Akwa Ibom community. residents, community groups, developers, government workers (and the agencies they represent). and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action.
The dramatic spread of COVID-19 has disrupted lives, livelihoods, communities, and businesses in Akwa Ibom. But the sum of many individual actions by stakeholders in the state will not add up to a sufficient response. Only coordinated action by business, combined with local, multistakeholder cooperation can mitigate the risk and impact of this unprecedented global health emergency.
In response to this emergency, Miss Mmanti Umoh, The Founding Curator of the Global Shapers Community Uyo Hub, Executive Director – Council Future Plan Nigeria and Lead Consultant of The PurplePatch Consults, has launched the COVID Sensitization Group. The group is intended to expedite private-sector support for the local public health response to COVID-19 and to do so at the scale and speed required to protect lives and livelihoods, aiming to find ways to help end the global emergency as soon as possible.
The COVID Sensitization Group will focus on two priorities:
1. Sensitize the local community for collective action.
2. Mobilize cooperation and business support for the COVID-19 response.
The COVID Sensitization Group is open to all local businesses and industry group leaders, as well as other stakeholders, including governments, that wish to team up with the private sector on their response. The platform will operate a network where CEOs, organizational leaders and designated COVID-19 corporate responders can offer their help and team up on specific projects, launch actions and keep each other informed of best practices.
“COVID-19 has shown the reality of the fatality that will occur if we choose to work as individuals rather than a team. It is not an ‘I Will” but “We Can” situation, All or None. Mmanti Umoh, Executive Director – Council Future Plan Nigeria. “Our best and only response to it should be to take collective action. The COVID Sensitization Group is at the center of our mission and we draw upon all our members and partners, communities and capabilities to make it a success.”
“Community Stakeholders have an essential role to play in combating this public health crisis through their expertise, innovation, and resources. With the help of technology, containment and eventual treatment of outbreaks can be run more smoothly,” said Hanson Johnson, Director-Start Innovation Hub. “We call on business owners and organizations in Akwa Ibom to make full use of this group in support of the global public health response to COVID-19.”
The COVID Sensitization Group is supported by The Council Future Plan – Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health EOC, The Nigeria POLICE Akwa Ibom State Command, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIWA), The Nigerian Medical Association Akwa Ibom State Chapter, The Nigerian Society of Engineers Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) amongst private stakeholders from Google, Anakle, Global Shapers, JCI, Salon Business Africa, Akamba Foundation, KAFFY Foundation, #EndSars Group, and many other groups. It is the first initiative of its kind, operating locally. The Group has established a special team to support the community’s work.
Working with the Emergency Operations Committee, the Stage 1 & 2 technical plan aims to strengthen the sensitization of local communities in the 31 local government areas, boost supply chains to ensure that COVID-19 essential health commodities are available, accessible, affordable and of good quality. Other actions will include supporting mechanisms for business donations to the public health response and the development of available and accessible protective equipment, as well as tracking the economic impact of the virus while pursuing collaboration to address disruptions.
