COVID-19: Nigeria gets $114.28m from World Bank

The World Bank has approved $114.28 million financing to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state-level responses.

According to a statement from the bank on Friday, the amount includes $100 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and $14.28 million grant from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility.

It stated that the Federal Government would provide grants to thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP).

It added that the project would serve as immediate support to break the chain of COVID-19 local transmission and limit the spread of coronavirus through containment and mitigation strategies.

Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria said: “Nigeria has ramped up its efforts to contain the COVID -19 outbreak, but more needs to be done at the state level, which is at the frontline of the response.

“The project will provide the states with much needed direct technical and fiscal support to strengthen their position in combating the pandemic.”

Chaudhuri added that the project would finance federal procurements of medical equipment, laboratory tests and medicines to be distributed to the states based on their needs.

He also said that the project complemented the Second Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Project (REDISSE II) which was already providing short-term emergency support to implement national and state Incident Action Plans.

Furthermore, he said that all 36 states had incident action plans cleared by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and funds had been disbursed to 23 states.

Leave A Comment