L-R: Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA Plc, Mr. Charles Aigbe in warm handshake with Legendary Hollywood actor, Actor, Danny Glover at the World conference organised for the Unveiling of the cast of 93 Days, a movie co-sponsored by UBA
A year ago, Late Patrick Sawyer defied all international travel restrictions placed on passengers travelling out of Liberia. He was pressed to attend a conference organised by ECOWAS in Calabar. He flew into Nigeria carrying in his body the deadly Ebola virus. Perhaps unknown to him, the singular step he took would claim the lives of some of Nigeria’s bright minds in medicine.
It is the heroic acts of these doctors who attended to him, especially late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, that the film, ‘93 Days’ seeks to tell. And so, in a bid to celebrate African heroism and enterprise, the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) has demonstrated its commitment to the fight the spread of Ebola by sponsoring ‘93 Days’, a Steve Gucas’ epic film about Nigeria’s battle with the virus in 2014.
At the movie’s premiere in Lagos penultimate week, the bank’s Divisional Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations, Charles Aigbe, says UBA sponsored the Nigerian-made production to educate viewers about the magnitude of the threat Nigeria faced, as well as the remarkable courage shown by Nigerians who risked their lives to save millions of people.
“We cannot overstate the importance of recording this historical act of African heroism. For the first time on the big screen, the world will be able to see what extraordinary feats were accomplished when Nigerians united behind a common goal. This is an inspirational story that UBA believes must be told about the spirit of Africa: one of courage, resilience and persistence,” explains Aigbe.
L-R: Nollywood Actress, Bimbo Akintola; Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey; Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA Plc, Mr. Charles Aigbe; American Actor, Tim Reid and Legendary Hollywood actor, Danny Glover at the World conference organised for the Unveiling of the unveiling of cast of 93 Days, a movie co-sponsored by UBA
On UBA’s role in the crisis, Aigbe says UBA was actively involved in the fight against Ebola through the UBA Foundation. “We made a cash donation of $1 million to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, which were the worst affected by the epidemic. Even at the height of the emergency, UBA met our moral obligation and corporate commitment to keep Africa connected by ensuring all our branches stayed open,” he explains.
93 Days tells the story Nigeria’s eventual victory over the threat of ebola that hung over the country early last year. The dramatic screening especially highlights the selfless contributions of a few courageous Nigerians, particularly Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, whose dogged determination to keep the first Ebola victim quarantined at her hospital led to her own unfortunate demise weeks later.
The film features a star-studded, international cast including Hollywood actors Danny Glover and Tim Reid, as well as Bimbo Akintola and Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey.
Speaking during the event, veteran filmmaker and producer, Steve Gucas says:, “93 Days is a dramatic portrayal of the selflessness and bravery that Africa is known for. In telling this story, our aim was to create a feature film that would resonate with many people across the world, particularly in Nigeria and the African sub-region.”
‘93 Days’ is a co-production of MichelAngelo Productions, Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions and Natives FilmWorks.
The UBA Group is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, operating in 19 African countries, as well as New York, London and Paris. The Group provides a sophisticated suite of banking services to over 8 million customers and corporate clients across Africa, priding itself on bringing financial inclusion to the continent and supporting Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs.