Martins Ifijeh
In an effort to promote health and safety for Nigerians amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, My World of Bags (MWOB), a bag design and manufacturing company, is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation on an initiative called Project SafeUp.
Project SafeUp will produce and distribute free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health workers and the general public across South-West Nigeria, including Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti as well as to other areas in need across the country. The PPE that will be produced includes reusable non-surgical masks, face shields, gowns and scrubs, and shoe and head covers.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, MWOB retooled its factory to focus on the production of PPE and established key partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The project is designed to produce and distribute over 2.5 million items of PPE within the next 4 months.
Femi Olayebi, Founder and CEO, MWOB, reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. She stated, “As a company, My World of Bags is proud to be a part of the solution and honoured to be able to contribute to the efforts of the authorities and health bodies to protect our health workers and our citizens from the devastating impact of COVID-19. We believe that a country is only as strong as the health and wellness of its citizens. We are grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for their support and look forward to continuing to work with them to improve the welfare of our citizens.”
Project SafeUp is committed to enhancing the use of Personal Protective Equipment by Nigerians and to reducing the spread of COVID-19 by sensitizing the public on the critical need to incorporate preventative measures in their day-to-day activities.
“The pandemic has had adverse effects on individuals and organizations across the country, but for many entrepreneurs and small business owners who make up most of the Nigerian population, and who rely on day-to-day incomes to survive, it has been particularly detrimental. At the Mastercard Foundation, we believe that this initiative will help to reduce these adverse effects by enabling people to safely return to their regular routines (education and work) with the use of PPE; improving the economic outcomes of low-income subgroups and women in particular; and contributing to slowing down the spread of the virus,” said Chidinma Lawanson, Country Head, Mastercard Foundation.
According to the World Health Organization, there have been over 51 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including over 1.2 million deaths across the world. At the end of October 2020, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported that there were 62,853 confirmed cases, 58,675 discharged persons and, 1,114 deaths recorded since the first case was recorded in February 2020.
Institutions and organizations interested in receiving PPE are advised to send in requests through the company’s website at
