Local: CBN ready to support domestic vaccine production for COVID-19 cure with N100b

Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria has announced that the apex bank is ready to support researchers, science-based institutions and biotechnology firms with N100 billion grant in the quest for a homegrown vaccine to fight Corona Virus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

Emefiele who spoke at the Dome Testing, Treating, Tracing and Isolation Center in Abuja, said the pandemic had an unparalleled effect on the global economy, impacting both large and small nations.

According to him, so far, the Coalition against COVID-19, (CACOVID) has raised over N27billion to fund this initiative.

He said the donation received so far is being used to build well-equipped isolation centres across the 36 states of the federation.

Emefiele stated: The Dome Testing, Treating, Tracing and Isolation Centre being launched today, represents a part of the support being provided by the CACOVID alliance. So far, CACOVID has equipped and handed over isolation centres in Rivers, Enugu, Kwara, Ondo and Borno.

It is expected that other isolation centres will be handed over in the other states of the country including FCT, by May 23rd 2020. As part of measures put in place to cushion the effect of the COVID-19, CACOVID has provided food items to poor and Indigents Nigerians’’.

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He said Nigeria's economy was subject to a triple shock after the outbreak of the disease.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who also spoke at the case, said he put all his hands on the deck to tackle the greatest single public health disaster of our century.

He said that the presence of this virus renders the detection and separation of infected individuals and their connections a public health priority, and the value of this virus cannot be overemphasized.