EU’s €50m to be channeled to “Basket Fund” to support Nigeria’s COVID-19 response – Mustapha

The European Union (EU) 50 million Euros donation to Nigeria will be channeled to the “One COVID-19 Basket Fund” for the national pandemic response plan.

NAN reports that on April 6, Nigeria and the UN launched the “One COVID-19 Basket Fund, framework, to mobilise over two million dollars from the UN system for the procurement of essential medical supplies that will boost the efforts of the Nigerian Government in containing COVID-19 and caring for those confirmed cases in need of serious medical attention.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, who is also the Presidential Task Force (PTF) Chairman, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, during the PTF daily briefing on COVID-19 in the country.

The SGF said that President Muhammadu Buhari received the contribution.
“The money will be channeled through the basket fund to facilitate rapid procurement of equipment, consumables, supporting socio-economic interventions for vulnerable groups and other aspects of treatment and critical care continuum.
Mustapha said that the President’s extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT by 14 days, was a difficult decision to make, but the government was convinced that this was the right thing to do.

“The evidence is clear. The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable,” he said.
Mustapha called on Nigerians not to lose the gains achieved thus far; but they must not allow a rapid increase in community transmission, urging them to endure a little longer.