…Distributes 5,000 Face Masks in Lagos.
A youth focused volunteer group has flagged off a free face mask initiative tagged ‘Mask4AllNG’ with the distribution of 5,000 free face masks to residents of Oko Oba, OrileAgege and its environs in Lagos on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
Speaking at the flag off event, the Strategic Team Lead, Mask4AllNG, Mr. Lanre Oyegbola, explained that the initiative is a critical intervention to stem the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic by providing the vulnerable communities with free masks to protect themselves and help flatten the curve of the pandemic.
Oyegbola stated that Mask4AllNGis aimed at delivering one million free standard homemade face masks to vulnerable communities pan-Nigeria before the end of May 2020 and a four-month target of a total of 50 million face masks by the end of August 2020.
He stated that with over 90 million poor people in Nigeria living on less than a dollar a day, face masks is a Luxury, hence the Mask4AllNG becomes imperative to bridge the gap.
“We came up with Mask4All as a social collaboration project that seeks to provide locally-produced WHO best global standards masks to the most vulnerable population in Nigeria. Through this process, we are empowering youths who are tailors to sew the mask and we distribute free”, he said.
He stressed further that countries like the Czech Republic have demonstrated that lockdown measures when complemented by mandatory wearing of face masks in public is a very effective strategy for slowing the spread of the COVID-19.
Also speaking at the event, the Baale of Oko Oba, High Chief Josiah Balogun commended the Mask4AllNGTeam for the laudable initiative and urged other well-meaning Nigerians to support emulate the kind gesture. The Baale urged the people of the community to make good use of the masks to protect themselves and community as a whole.
Also applauding the effort of the initiative, Mrs Williams, a resident of the Agege community thank the team for distributing free masks in her neighbourhood while calling on other well-meaning Nigerians and Corporate Organisations to support the group to achieve its 50 Million Free masks target.
In their own reaction, two of the tailors already signed up as volunteers for the initiative, ModupeEkundayo and Kolawole Christiana, noted that the initiative has empowered them during this COVID-19 lockdown through the sewing of face masks.
