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Covid-19: Oxygen demand in Lagos State has risen 5 times – Sanwo-Olu
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Naira strengthens at NAFEX window despite 61% drop in dollar supply
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
Daily Parallel Market Exchange Rate – ₦470/$1
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Business News
Naira under pressure as Nigeria records poor export earnings
The naira is expected to be under intense pressure from the dollar starting next week, no thanks to Nigeria’s poor export earnings due the COVID-19 pandemic.
The naira is expected to be under intense pressure from the dollar starting next week, no thanks to Nigeria’s poor export earnings due the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is coming as Nigeria’s commercial banks struggle to meet dollar demands by importers who are seeking to meet past due obligations.
Already, the naira has been depreciating across the official and parallel markets since mid-March, following a crude price slump. As Nairametrics reported, the Central Bank of Nigeria devalued the naira and suspended foreign exchange sales to Nigeria’s retail currency traders.
Earlier this past Thursday, the naira dropped to N387.30 per dollar and then declined further to N387.70 on Friday at the official currency spot market.
On the black market, however, the naira was quoted at about N415 per dollar, having fallen more than the spot market rate.
(READ MORE: Naira slumps further against US Dollar at ₦412/$1)
Foreign exchange inflows into Africa’s largest economy plunged after crude oil prices fell drastically, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate an already tight currency market.
Recall that the drop in crude oil prices and Nigeria’s dwindling foreign exchange reserves had led to experts’ predictions that it was only a matter of time before the CBN decide to devalue the naira.
In addition, America’s biggest bank, JP Morgan Chase, had reported that it expects a 10% devaluation of the naira to N400 per dollar by the end of the end of Q2 2020.
The first quarter of 2020 have witnessed a generally bearish trend in global financial markets, starting with China which, unfortunately, was the first epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic.
(READ MORE: COVID-19 could save naira from depreciating further)
With China being a major trade partner to Nigeria, it was not surprising how the initial Coronavirus crisis and resultant lockdown in China had diffused through the Nigerian economy.
Nigeria exports a significant volume of its crude oil output to China. And crude oil sales account for about half of Nigeria’s revenue and 90% of its export earnings.
Nigeria’s foreign reserves have depleted to $35.8 billion as of late March 2020, all due to all the upheavals in the global economy.
The country has now resorted to selling its crude at an unusually low discount starting from April, all in an effort to undercut its rivals and survive.
Coronavirus
Covid-19: Oxygen demand in Lagos State has risen 5 times – Sanwo-Olu
Governor Sanwo-Olu has lamented the rising second wave of the pandemic in Lagos as the demand for oxygen increases by 5 times.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has warned that the rising second wave of the pandemic in Lagos has seen the demand for oxygen rise 5 times from 70 six-litre cylinders per day to 350 six-litre cylinders at Yaba Mainland Hospital alone.
The Governor also urged that all malaria-like symptoms should henceforth be considered as COVID-19 virus infection unless and until proven not to be so.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Lagos State Government on Tuesday.
“Over the last few weeks, the demands for oxygen has risen from 70 six-litre cylinders per day to 350 six-litre cylinders in our Yaba Mainland Hospital. This is projected to more than double to 750 six-cylinders, before the end of January 2021,” the Governor said.
He added that the State Government has decentralized provision of oxygen and other services needed for Covid-19 patients, citing provision of oxygen kiosks.
“ln addition to providing oxygen at our isolation centres, the Lagos State Government has decentralized the availability of oxygen across the State through the provision of 10 oxygen and sampling kiosks. Oxygen therapy and other related services will be provided to patients that require them.
“Five of these 10 oxygen centers have been commissioned while the remaining five will be ready for use within the next four weeks. It is our expectation that these sampling kiosks would be easily accessible to residents that require oxygen therapy at the level of LGAs as stabilization points prior to onward transmission to our Isolation centres, if required.
“This strategy is to further increase the fighting chance of Lagos residents that have contracted the virus and require immediate oxygen therapy,” he stated.
The Governor said that Lagos is closely monitoring plans by the FG to acquire vaccines and said the State has also resumed discussion with potential manufacturers. He also said the State is building its own regulatory framework for vaccine distribution.
“We are closely monitoring ongoing action by the Federal Government to procure COVID-19 vaccines for use in Nigeria. We have also opened discussions with vaccine manufacturers so that when the vaccine comes eventually we can ensure that Lagosians are catered for.
“In the meantime, we are developing a strategy that will articulate the criteria, guidelines and regulatory framework for providing and monitoring vaccinations in Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government is actively partnering with the private sector in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the areas of testing, oxygen deployment, as well as the clinical management of moderate to severe cases. These partnerships have helped enhance the State’s response to the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic,” Sanwo-Olu added.
What you should know
- The Lagos State Government earlier disclosed that its bed occupancy levels at its public and private COVID-19 care centres increased to 51 per cent.
- The Federal Government also alerted Nigerians that hospitals across the country are running out of facilities to handle more serious cases of coronavirus infections as the virus is spreading fast with mild symptoms in some victims and severe illnesses and death in others.
- Nairametrics recently reported that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, announced the sum of N10 billion for the production of vaccines in Nigeria, to fight the coronavirus.
Coronavirus
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
On the 19th of January 2021, 1,301 new confirmed cases and 15 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 113,305 confirmed cases.
On the 19th of January 2021, 1,301 new confirmed cases and 15 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
To date, 113,305 cases have been confirmed, 91,200 cases have been discharged and 1,464 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 1.19 million tests have been carried out as of January 19th, 2021 compared to 1.17 million tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 19th January 2021,
- Total Number of Cases – 113,305
- Total Number Discharged – 91,200
- Total Deaths – 1,464
- Total Tests Carried out – 1,191,866
According to the NCDC, the 1,301 new cases were reported from 22 states- Lagos (551), FCT (209), Oyo (83), Plateau (65), Kaduna (64), Enugu (61), Rivers (44), Ondo (39), Benue (37), Akwa Ibom (31), Kano (19), Delta (18), Gombe (18), Ogun (16), Edo (15), Kebbi (10), Ebonyi (9), Jigawa (4), Osun (3), Zamfara (3), Borno (1) and Nasarawa (1).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 41,951, followed by Abuja (14,909), Plateau (6,896), Kaduna (6,389), Oyo (4,778), Rivers (4,473), Edo (3,335), Ogun (2,928), Kano (2,636), Delta (2,140), Ondo (2,109), Katsina (1,723), Kwara (1,697), Enugu (1,644), Gombe (1,518), Nasarawa (1,336), Ebonyi (1,284), Osun (1,263), Abia (1,134), and Bauchi (1,107).
Borno State has recorded 868 cases, Imo (857), Akwa Ibom (698), Benue (694), Sokoto (677), Bayelsa (619), Adamawa (573), Niger (547), Anambra (515), Ekiti (473), Jigawa (429), Taraba (294), Kebbi (261), Yobe (211), Cross River (169), Zamfara (165), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Western diplomats warn of disease explosion, poor handling by government
Lock Down and Curfew
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.
On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020. Also, on Monday 27th July 2020, the federal government extended the second phase of eased lockdown by an additional one week.
On Thursday, 6th August 2020 the federal government through the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 announced the extension of the second phase of eased lockdown by another four (4) weeks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced the closed down of the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre, with effect from Friday, 31st July 2020. He also mentioned that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and the patients relocated to a large capacity centre.
Due to the increased number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria, the Nigerian government ordered the reopening of Isolation and treatment centres in the country on Thursday, 10th December 2020.
READ ALSO: Bill Gates says Trump’s WHO funding suspension is dangerous
Macro-Economic News
Price Watch: Nigerians paid less for Kerosene in December 2020
NBS Report shows that consumers paid less for Kerosene in December than they did in November 2020.
Adetayo Fatima
April 4, 2020 at 12:20 pm
Good to know
Oluolub
April 4, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Before this time the enemies of Naira if anyone who cares has been watching news on Naira devaluation have been speculating Naira devaluation to the extent that CBN governor has to speak. They have not given up and the pandemic helped them now. I say to them when Naira becomes 1000 naira to a dollar they will rest. The poor is the hardest hit. Good luck for their greed.
peter
April 21, 2020 at 5:18 am
i never comment but oluolub was just too stupid to ignore.
are you suggesting that a “cabal” in nigeria controls global oil prices to which nigeria contributes 2.5% of the supply?
you are utterly paranoid and delusional.