COVID-19: Nigeria gets fresh World Bank’s $114.28m facility
NIGERIA’S RE SPONSE TO THE Coronavirus pandemic has received a boost as the World Bank board of directors approved $114.28 million financing to help it prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state level responses.
The bank said this in a statement titled ‘Nigeria to boost states capacity for COVID-19 response’ released on Friday.
The financing approved include $100 million credit from the International Development Association and $14.28 million grant from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility.
The bank said, “Through the COVID-19 preparedness and response project (CoPREP), the government of Nigeria will provide grants to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as immediate support to break the chain of COVID-19 local transmission and limit the spread of coronavirus through containment and mitigation strategies.”
It said that grants to states would be conditional on states adopting COVID-19 response strategies which were in line with the Federal Government guidelines and strategies.
“CoPREP will enhance the institutional and operational capacity for disease detection through provision of technical expertise, coordination support, detection, diagnosis and case management efforts in all states and the FCT as per the WHO guidelines in the strategic response plan,” it healthcare workers and strengthen the public health care network for future health emergencies.
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 are 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.”
In addition, it added, the project would finance federal procurements of medical equipment, laboratory tests, and medicines to be distributed to the states base