COVID-19: World Bank approves $114.28m grant for Nigeria

The World Bank has approved $114.28 million financing to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state-level responses.

The bank said in a statement on Friday the amount included $100 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and $14.28 million grant from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility.

It added that the Federal Government would provide grants to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP).

The World Bank said the project would serve as immediate support to break the chain of COVID-19 local transmission and limit the spread of COVID-19 through containment and mitigation strategies.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: States to get $1.5bn from World Bank as economic stimulus

The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, 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.”

Chaudhuri added that the project would finance federal procurements of medical equipment, laboratory tests and medicines to be distributed to the states based on their needs.

He also said that the project complemented the Second Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Project (REDISSE II) which was already providing short-term emergency support to implement national and state Incident Action Plans.

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