Chinese medical personnel arrive Nigeria to boost COVID-19 effort

A 15-man medical team from China arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday afternoon.

The medical personnel from China are in Nigeria to aid in the country’s fight against the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.

Alongside the medical team, the Federal Government also took delivery of the second batch of medical supplies from China.

Among the materials brought in include 16 tons of test kits, ventilators, disinfectant machines, disposable medical masks, medicines, rubber gloves, protective gowns, goggles, face shields, infra-red thermometers and other critical care items.

Osagie Ehainre, minister of health, was at the airport to receive the medical team and the consignment.
Zhou Pingjiang, ambassador of China to Nigeria, who was among the delegation that took the delivery, said the consignment is worth $1.5 million.

Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Air Peace, delivered the supplies on Wednesday after a historical non-stop flight to Chinese capital, Beijing.

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The flight was operated by the airline’s Boeing B777-200 ER (P4 5-NBVE) in a non-stop 14 hours service, which landed in Beijing, China at 14:18 pm local time on Tuesday and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday after 15 hours’ non-stop flight, touching down at the airport at 4:25 pm local time.

The Federal Government on April 5 took delivery of the first batch of medical supplies from Istanbul, Turkey, airlifted by Air Peace.

“Another history was made yesterday, April 7, 2020 as Air Peace Boeing 777-200ER (P4 5-NBVE) landed in Beijing, China, 14:18pm, for the airlift of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19,” Allen Onyema, chairman and CEO of Air Peace, said.

”This is the first time a Nigerian airline would be doing a direct nonstop 14 hours flight to China. The aircraft operated another non-stop 15 hours fight to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. All six-man crew are Nigerians. May God Almighty be praised for everything. We are all one under one God. Congratulations Nigeria,” Onyema said.

IFEOMA OKEKE (Lagos) & GODSGIFT ONYEDINEFU (Abuja)

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.