The European Union (EU) €50 million donation to Nigeria will be channeled to the “One COVID-19 Basket Fund” for the national pandemic response plan.
On April 6, 2020, Nigeria and the UN launched the “One COVID-19 Basket Fund”, a framework, to mobilise over $2 million from the UN system for the procurement of essential medical supplies that will boost the efforts of the Nigerian Government in containing COVID-19 and caring for those confirmed cases in need of serious medical attention.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, who is also the Presidential Task Force (PTF) Chairman, disclosed this on Tuesday, April 14 in Abuja, during the PTF daily briefing on COVID-19 in the country.
The SGF said that President Muhammadu Buhari received the contribution.
“The money will be channeled through the basket fund to facilitate rapid procurement of equipment, consumables, supporting socio-economic interventions for vulnerable groups and other aspects of treatment and critical care continuum,” he said.
Mustapha said that the President’s extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT by 14 days, was a difficult decision to make, but the government was convinced that this was the right thing to do.
“The evidence is clear. The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable,” he added.
Mustapha called on Nigerians not to lose the gains achieved thus far; but they must not allow a rapid increase in community transmission, urging them to endure a little longer.
Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, said that Treatment Centre Accreditation Team was working and had set out guidelines for their work.
Ehanire said that the team would also be conducting random spot checks on Isolation and Treatment facilities nationwide.
The Minister disclosed that over 9, 000 persons of interest have been followed up in contact tracing; most of them have completed their 14 days isolation.
“Government notes early evidence of community transmission, which reinforced the call for physical distancing, the use of masks in public places, as well as strict personal and respiratory hygiene.”
By Abujah Racheal
