Nigeria’s battle against coronavirus has got a boost as the
European Union has given her €50 million.
This came as the International Monetary Fund granted 25 countries debt relief but excluded Nigeria.
Although the expansion of positive cases is not very rapid in the country, as of 09:50 pm on the 13th April, there have been 343 confirmed cases of #COVID-19.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 91 have been discharged with 10 deaths.
“Currently, Lagos has 189 new cases, FCT- 56, Osun- 20, Edo- 16, Oyo- 11, Ogun – nine, Bauchi – six, Kaduna – six, Akwa Ibom – five, Katsina – five, Delta – three, Enugu – two, Ekiti – two, Rivers – two, Kwara – four, Ondo – three, Benue – one, Niger – one, Anambra – one and Kano – three,” the NCDC said.
The EU”s donation was, however, announced when the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), received in audience the its Delegation at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja on Tuesday.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made this known via a tweet.
According to him, Adesina the EU delegation at the event, Amb Ketil Karlsen, who announced the donation, also commended Buhari for extending Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja lockdown.
Karlsen was quoted as describing Buhari’s address to the nation on Monday as “powerful”, adding that the retired general took bold and necessary measures.
“EU gives Nigeria a grant of 50 million Euro to fight COVID-19,” Adesina tweeted.
Also, the Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Bashir Ahmad, said, “The European Union has donated a grant of €50 million to the Federal Government, their contribution to Nigeria’s fight against #COVID19, the Head of EU delegation, Amb. Ketil Karlsen announces the donation at a meeting with President @MBuhari today in Abuja.”
Buhari on Monday announced the extension of the lockdown order in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
This was after an initial lockdown order declared by the retired general on March 31 elapsed.
In a nationwide broadcast on Monday, the president extended the restriction by 14 days, saying the decision was a difficult one for his regime.
Buhari said the initial lockdown helped Nigeria in its fight against the coronavirus.
After the President’s address, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced that “20 new cases of #COVID-19 have been reported as follows: 13 in Lagos, two in Edo, two in Kano, two in Ogun and one in Ondo.
