A firm, International Breweries Plc, has built and donated a N44million ultra-modern health centre to one of its host communities, Oginigba community in Ohio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the health centre, the Legal and Corporate Affairs Director of International Breweries Plc, Otunba Micheal Daramola, said the project was to further demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting government and communities in healthcare and infrastructure delivery.

Daramola stated that the ultra-modern health centre project was completed about five months after its ground breaking ceremony held in November, 2019.

He further stated that International Breweries Plc, a proud member of the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-BuschInbev (AB InBev) invested N44million to build, furnish and equip the health centre, which will be subsequently managed by the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board.

The Legal and Corporate Affairs Director said the Oginigba Health Centre is a state-of-the-art health facility, equipped with medical facilities such as infant incubators and warmer, nebulizer, anaesthesia machine, suction machine, delivery beds, X-ray new box, oxygen concentrator, facilities for the resident doctor, and auto clave machine amongst others.

Daramola stated that the commissioning was yet another testament to International Breweries Plc’s commitment to an effective and efficient Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) system, which the company does in partnership with its host communities.

He noted that the dream of bringing people together for a better world as espoused by the company drives the vision to support communities and the people of Nigeria in five CSR interventions areas: Empowerment, Education, Health, Infrastructural support and Responsible drinking.

The director said: “The dream of bringing people together for a better world actually led to our vision of supporting the Rivers State government to provide this primary health care facility in Oginigba to cater for the people of the community and environs.

“With today’s project, we are also demonstrating our contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 on Good Health and Well Being; SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 9 which addresses the impact of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

“Before this project, we renovated the Oginigba primary School borehole which currently provides potable water to pupils, teachers and the community residents.

“We are also supporting youth empowerment and employment as eight youth beneficiaries from Rivers State would be receiving a total sum of N7, 970,000 as grants from the International Breweries Foundation under the Kickstart Youth Empowerment programme to start their businesses”.

In his speech at the occasion, the traditional ruler of Oginigba community, Eze G.B Odum, said the intervention recorded by International Breweries Plc with the Oginigba Health Centre would serve as an example for other multinational companies in Oginigba kingdom to emulate.

Odum said: “We are indeed overwhelmed with joy to witness the completion of this ultra-modern health centre, a project embarked upon and successfully completed by International Breweries Plc.

“Words are not enough to convey how grateful we are to the management as we know that the company has left a great legacy on the sands of time. This landmark is one that will surely serve as an example to other multinational companies in Oginigba Kingdom.”