Tobias Sylvester
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N8.49 billion for the procurement of 12 items for the testing of coronavirus pandemic by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The approval was given during a meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
Buhari gave the approval after considering a memo presented by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on behalf of the NCDC at the Council chambers.
Speaking with the State House correspondents after the meeting, Ehanire explained that the approval was made to further equip the NCDC to respond appropriately to the community transmission phase of the pandemic.
“We have already made plans to have at least one sample collection centre in every local government, minimum of 774.
“These resources will be necessary to go around the 774 local government areas, to ensure that persons in rural areas and small towns are not excluded and to ensure that not only the big cities are the ones that are being attended to.
“That is the basis for the memo. The cost is N8.49bn to procure the items that are involved. There is a total of 12 items; the quantities involved are large numbers, which will be sent out later.”
KanyiDaily recalls that a few months ago, the NCDC Director General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said that Nigeria is in desperate need of more coronavirus testing kits.
