The FG’s policy on promoting local content and home grown initiative has received further boost with the production of 20,000 face masks by a team of FCT Corp members to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the society. The production of this quantum quantity of face masks was timely and auspicious in response to the Ministry’s urgent and purposeful efforts to resume sporting activities in the country via its proposed COVID-19 protocol guidelines to the appropriate authorities towards ensuring a safe environment for sporting events to thrive.
The Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare made these assertions when he received 20,000 Face Masks produced and presented by the team of FCT Corp members to the Ministry. While commending the efforts of the Corp members for their ingenuity and initiative to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the Permanent Secretary, who represented the Minister, affirmed that this noble gesture by these Corp members complements the earlier donation of sanitizers and face masks produced by the NYSC members to the Ministry, in response to a clarion call by the Minister for a productive and positively engaged youths. Continuing, Mr. Gabriel Aduda stated that the mass production clearly reinforces and actualizes the noble policies of this administration to create an enabling environment for Local content to flourish amongst our youths for economic gains.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary alluded to these masks glowingly and regarded it as part of efforts of the Ministry to return to our normal life by creating a safe environment for sporting events and activities to commence as in other climes.
In his remarks, the Director, General of the National Youth Corp, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Shuaibu asserted that the production of the 20,000 Face Masks, in addition to previous donations to the Ministry attests to the capability and capacity of Corps members to respond to national distress calls more so, should be regarded as its contribution towards ensuring a safe and successful hosting of the National Sports Festival, which was earlier suspended by the Federal Government in March due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking during the occasion, the Leader of the Team that produced the masks, Dr. Vincent Chidera enthused that the actualization of its production was made possible by the support and encouragement of the FCT Coordinator who provided the leeway for them to express their ingenuity. He also affirmed that the vision to produce the masks was borne out of the need to provide an affordable mask for FCT indigenes, that would fulfill the standard guidelines laid by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for face mask production.
Mr. Ramon Balogun.
Asst. Director.
For : Director Press.
