Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated a 400 capacity mobile COVID-19 testing centre to the Kano State Government. This is expected to support the state’s ongoing efforts to combate the spread of the virus.
The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, announced this in a tweet on Saturday evening.
FLASH: Alhaji Aliko Dangote donates 400 capacity COVID–19 Mobile Testing Centre to Kano State Government.
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) May 2, 2020
Dangote’s donation is coming at a critical time, as the figure of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kano state has risen dramatically in the last few days. The State Government recently admitted to being overwhelmed by the sudden rise of confirmed cases, a situation that has necessitated the conversion of certain facilities in the state to isolation wards.
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According to a tweet from the State Governor, Umar Ganduje, the Sports Institute at Karfi, the Nigerian Air Force Hospital Kano, the Abubakar Imam Urology Hospital, Murtala Muhammed Library Complex, and the Hospitality and Tourism Institute, formerly Daula Hotel, will all serve as isolation facilities to house patients confirmed to be Coronavirus positive.
Sports Institute at Karfi and the Nigerian Air Force Hospital will now house carriers of the pandemic going forward. The Murtala Muhammad Library Complex is expected to accommodate over 200 beds and also an estimated 300 beds will be provided at Karfi Sports Institute.
— Dr. Ganduje OFR. (@GovUmarGanduje) May 2, 2020
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He also stated during a press briefing on Saturday that medical equipment is expected to arrive Kano on Monday.
Recall that Aliko Dangote had already made other donations prior to this time, including his donation of N2 billion to the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) relief fund.
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The Federal Government’s Flood Committee, which is led by Aliko Dangote, had also recently donated N1.5 billion to further aid the fight against COVID-19.
