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COVID-19: Nigerian govt to spend N296bn on vaccination

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Nigerian govt to increase military funding

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said on Wednesday Federal Government would spend N296 billion on COVID-19 vaccinations in two years.

The minister, who disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, added that the supplementary budget being prepared by the Federal Government for procurement of security equipment and COVID-19 vaccines is not ready yet.

She said the service chiefs would send their request on arms procurement to President Muhammadu Buhari who will in turn forward the request to the ministry.

Ahmed said: “For the military hardware, we have met with the service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff. They are supposed to aggregate their request for review amongst themselves and then pass it to Mr. President, who will send the request to us.

“So, we are waiting for the information of the aggregate requirements.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt dispels reports of fake COVID-19 vaccines

“On the N296 billion for COVID-19 vaccination, Sometime in January, the President, based on the request by the Ministry of Health, gave approval in principle for the Ministry of Health to work with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to prepare and take to the National Assembly a supplementary budget for COVID-19 vaccination.

“The submission that was made to Mr. President at that time was in the sum of N399billion, but included in this N399 billion was N103 billion for building of primary healthcare centres.

“So, we have worked with and met several times with the ministry and we have agreed to back out from this building of primary health care centres. That can wait till later.

“So, there is still a provision of N296 billion for COVID-19 vaccinations for 2021 and 2022.”

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