Union Bank Partners 54Gene To Raise $500,000 Towards Nigeria’s Fight Against COVID-19

Union Bank, one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions has announced a  US$130,000  (N50million)  donation  to  tackle  the  spread  of  the  Coronavirus  pandemic  in Nigeria. 


The donation was made into a fund set up by 54gene, an African genomics research, services and  development  company  working  closely  with  the  Nigeria  Centre  for  Disease  Control (NCDC) to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.   The  money  will  help  increase  COVID-19  testing  capacity  in  the  country  by  up  to  1,000 additional tests a day, by buying testing instruments and critical biosafety materials such as biosafety  cabinets  and  personal  protective  equipment  urgently  needed  to  keep  frontline healthcare workers safe. The procured equipment will be installed in general hospitals and laboratories across the country, and will remain in place even after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to be used in the case of future outbreaks. 

In  addition,  there  will  also  be  extensive  training  and  support  to  medical  practitioners  and volunteers working across the country to curb the menace. 

Announcing the donation, the Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, said: “Community is one of our core values at Union Bank, and there’s no better time to live this value than now. A critical need for the country at this time is to scale up our testing capabilities and  give  us a  better chance of slowing the spread of the virus.

We are therefore pleased to  be supporting 54gene who is directly collaborating with NCDC and World Health Organisation who are coordinating Nigeria’s Covid-19 response.  While commending Union Bank on its donation, the CEO of 54gene, Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong also said: “The rapid and assured response from some of Nigeria’s most reputable institutions, such  as  Union  Bank,  to  join  us  in  our  fight  against  this  deadly  disease  is  highly welcome, and we thank them for their unwavering support. They, like us, understand the need for a multi-stakeholder, co-ordinated plan, that can be implemented almost immediately, as we work together  as  a community, side-by-side, to  fight COVID-19 and protect our population.”

Last week, Union Bank, which had already been proactive in rolling out stringent safety and hygiene practices within its branches and service locations, took the lead in activating remote work for its employees, directing more than 70% of its employees in non-service functions to work from home starting Monday, 23rd of March. 

Union Bank also announced the launch of a toll-free Customer Care number 0800 700 700 which customers can call free of charge at anytime of the day or night to get help with banking issues.  These initiatives underscore Union Bank’s commitment to containing the spread of the virus while actively supporting the communities within which it operates.