Taiwo Hassan 
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation has reported that it will be committing £5 million in the coming year to set up Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) handwashing facilities in sub-Saharan African. Also, the foundation pledged to support WaterAid and World Vision with 2.5 million euros by providing hygiene information in health centers, markets and community settings in eight sub- Saharan African countries. However, as a first step, Ni-geria, being one of the eight countries in SSA targeted, the Nigerian Breweries Plc and the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation have made a contribution of £622,000 to help WaterAid Nigeria to install over 1,000 handwashing stations in healthcare facilities and other public places.
The move by Nigerian Breweries Plc, the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation and WaterAid Nigeria was part of marking the occasion of World Water Week, in which these companies proudly announced their common commitment in promoting lifesaving hygiene education and handwashing facilities in the urgent fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. The HEINEKEN Africa Foundation described Nigeria as one of the most populated nations in Africa, and, like many other countries, facing significant challenges in tackling the devastating impact of the COVID-19.
It explained that the WHO, UNICEF and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had all indicated that the spread of COVID-19, like most other infectious diseases, could be drastically reduced with basic hygiene behaviors such as handwashing with soap and water. Unfortunately today, the company stated that around 60 million people in Nigeria still do not have access to clean water and so lack this first line of defense against transmission. The HEINEKEN Africa Foundation General Manager, Suzanne Giele, said, “Clean water, decent sanitation and hygiene is a basic human right but unfortunately many communities, especially in Africa, do not have access to it.