The Taiwan Business Association (TABA) has donated medical items and personal protective equipment (PPE) to Cross River to boost the state government’s fight against COVID-19.
Presenting the consignment of medical items, the representative of Taiwan Government, H. E. Vincent Yang, said the donation is to assist in the current efforts by the Governor Ben Ayade administration to ward off the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Yang disclosed that the consignment was from the Taiwan-Africa Business Association (TABA), which signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cross River State government in November last year during the 13-member visit to the state.
He said: “In keeping with the spirit and letters of the MoU, members of TABA decided to reach out to Cross River State by donating the medical items and PPE for the use of frontline workers in their efforts to contend the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
“This consignment will be followed soon by another set of donations of vital medical equipment from Taiwan.”
Receiving the equipment on behalf of Cross River State government, the commissioner for finance and secretary of the State’s COVID-19 Task Force, Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr, said there is urgent need for Taiwan to share its successful strategies in containing the pandemic.
Ekpenyong Jr recalled that Governor Ben Ayade, while addressing the visiting TABA delegation last year, had urged them to take advantage of the Nigerian market, its new tax regime and available land to invest in the Industrial Park.
According to him, the donation is in line with the chairman of TABA, Mr. Jeff Sun, who had assured Governor Ayade that the association was open to partnership that would be of mutual benefit to the group and African collaborators.
He stated that the Taiwan has only reported 447 confirmed COVID-19 cases, adding that the state would like to tap into their technology as part of post-COVID-19 measures.
