Nigeria is richer by $114 million to help in the war against COVID-19 pandemic courtesy of the World Bank response funds.
This is contained a statement issued by the bank on Friday, 7th August, 2020.
The money will go a long way in helping Nigeria combat the virus in area of prevention, identification and response to the hazards posed by virus with particular emphasis on the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The statement explained that the funds come as $100 million credit facility from the International Development Association (IDA) and $14 million grant from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility.
It further disclosed that the Federal Government is expected to provide grants from the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP) to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Nigeria has ramped up its efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, but more needs to be done at the states level, which are at the front line of the response,” the statement quoted the World Bank Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, as saying on Friday.
He posited that the project would provide the states with the much-needed direct technical and fiscal support with a view to strengthening their position in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Bank Chief was of the view that the project would finance federal procurements of medical equipment, laboratory tests and medicines to be distributed to the states based on their needs.
According to the World Bank, CoPREP would finance further support to all the 36 states and the FCT through the NCDC to implement the COVID-19 Incident Action Plan.
Nigeria has recorded about 45,687 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease with 936 fatalities and 32,637 people discharged as at August 7, 2020.
Some serious concerns have been raised about the country’s testing capacity, which though has improved is still regarded as inadequate.
