On the 29th of March, the sum of 15 billion naira was contributed by the Nigerian Government in the battle against the COVID 19. 10 billion naira was given to the Lagos State government and 5 billion dollars was given to the Nigerian Center of Disease Control (NCDC) to help exquip, expand, provide personnel and laboratories.
The Nigerian government has increased the number of sample testing for the COVID 19 from 1,500 daily tests to 3,000 daily tests in Lagos and Abuja.
All state governments were ordered by the president to nominate doctors and nurses that will be trained by the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on tactical and operational response to the COVID 19 in case it spreads to other, less capable regions of the country. The training will include; medical representatives from the Nigerian armed forces, paramilitary and security and intelligence agencies.
The NCDC retired staff were pulled by the agency back in to help beef up the manpower in response to the COVID 19.
The Minister of Industry, trade, and investment is to work with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to ensure that the production of essential items such as food, medical and pharmaceutical products continues unhindered.
The president requested a Three months repayment moratorium for all TraderMoni, MarketMoni, FarmerMoni loans be implemented with immediate effect. A similar moratorium will be given to all federal government-funded loans issued by the bank of industry, bank of agriculture, and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank. Lending facilities using capital from International and multilateral development partners have been directed by the president to ease the pains of borrowers and negotiate concessions.
Conditional cash transfers have been issued by the federal government to the most vulnerable for two months. Internally Displaced Person s (IDPs) will also receive 2 Months food rotation from the federal government.
On the 11th of April, 70,000 tonnes of grain was released from the National Strategic Grain Reserve for distribution to the vulnerable.
President Buhari approves the sum of 500 billion Naira as part of the COVID 19 virus crisis intervention fund. Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance and budget made the announcement. The 500 billion Naira will be sourced from various accounts already existing special in the countries account. The 500 billion Naira will be used to upgrade the health care facilities around the country, it would include the financing and creation of special public works program and it will also include funding of additional interventions that may arise.
