Key highlights
- In 2020, FG concluded plans to establish a N500 billion COVID-19 crisis intervention fund.
- The fund was introduced to upgrade healthcare facilities and administration in the country.
- Minister adds as of 2020, only two Molecular laboratories existed in Nigeria, today, thanks to the Fund FG can boast of about 52 molecular labs.
The Nigerian Government announced that it increased the number of Molecular Laboratories in Nigeria from 2 to 52, thanks to the disbursement of the N500 billion COVID-19 crisis intervention fund. The fund was introduced to upgrade healthcare facilities and administration in the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, on Friday during an inspection visit to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the Psychiatric Hospital in Benin.
The Minister stated that 52 health institutions benefited from the fund, which was used to build molecular laboratories and also renovate well-furnished intensive care units and Special Care Baby Units (SCBU).
Covid Intervention
Prince Clem Agba said during the advent of COVID-19, FG came up with an economic sustainability plan, with a budget size of N500 billion which it got from some special accounts, he added:
- “And within that budget, we thought we should intervene in the federal tertiary institution across the country, to build resilience in our health sector
- “In 2020, I will say there were only two Molecular laboratories across the country but today, the FG can boast of about 52 molecular labs and of course, UBTH was a beneficiary.”
Fund approval
He added that President Muhammadu Buhari approved and released N950 million to each institution, to intervene in four areas, which were to build intensive care units, special baby care units and molecular laboratories and get them furnished.
- “You will recall that during that period COVID was new and we didn’t quite understand it, so there was a need to protect the workers, so we also invested money in the provision of Personal Protective Equipment.
- “I recall visiting here in 2021, and I saw the work that was ongoing, the molecular lab has been completed but the ICU and isolation centre were still under construction.
- “So, I thought I should pass by and see what has been done with the funds that were provided by His Excellency, the president.”
He noted that the fund was used for allocation and disbursement to the various medical centres, including teaching hospitals, citing that the teaching hospitals, UBTH and the Irrua specialist teaching hospitals would also benefit.
Agba also disclosed that the Japanese Government in 2019, provided funding of about $18 million to support in communicable disease areas and provide NCDC with equipment.
Backstory
Recall that Nairametrics reported in 2020 that The Federal Government (FG) concluded plans to establish a N500 billion COVID-19 crisis intervention fund. The fund was introduced to upgrade healthcare facilities and administration in the country.
The decision was taken after the Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, met with the leadership of the National Assembly, led by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the National Assembly complex in April 2020, as Nigeria was hit by Covid.
It was agreed that the intervention fund will include mopped-up resources from various government accounts as well as loans and advances from multilateral organizations.
