FG releases N984m to tackle Coronavirus

The Federal Government has released a N620 million, which is the second tranche of the funds needed to tackle the menace of globally-threatened COVID-19 disease. This brings the amount release so far to N984m, according to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

The ministry said Friday night that it had earlier released the first tranche of N364 million to the health authorities.

“The approval by President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of funds to tackle COVID-19 was an emergency and the process of releasing the fund was also an emergency as it was an unexpected expenditure.

“The process of releasing the second tranche has been concluded with the release of N620 million this morning, bringing total release to N984 million,” Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi

Special Adviser, Media & Communications, to the Minister of Finance , Budget and National Planning confirmed in a press statement.

Responding to a BusinessDay enquiry yesterday, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, promised that the second tranche of the needed fund would be released Friday following a public outcry.

There were concerns raised by the Senate president, Lawal Ahmed mid week that the government appeared not be making adequate preparations towards a possible spread of the disease.

Lawal had visited a supposed site for the Abuja isolation centre on Wednesday but was shocked that nothing was on ground at the time.

Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja

Onyinye Nwachukwu

Onyinye Nwachukwu is the Abuja Bureau Chief of BusinessDay, overseeing coverage across Abuja and Northern Nigeria. With more than two decades of experience in economic and financial journalism, she reports on business, policy, and market trends, linking local developments to the global economy. A fellow of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recipient of the P. Vishwanathan Memorial Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, she is known for her insightful storytelling and interviews with senior policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders. Well traveled and globally minded, Onyinye brings depth and international perspective to her reporting.