Nigeria Excluded From World Bank COVID-19 Support Fund For Developing Countries

Nigeria has been excluded from the first set of beneficiaries of the World Bank’s COVID-19 Emergency Health Support programme, which is aimed at strengthening developing countries’ response to the pandemic. Punch Reports.

Meridian Spy had reported on Friday the World Bank says its board of executive directors gave approval for emergency support operations to 25 developing countries worth $1.9 billion to respond to “immediate health consequences of the pandemic and bolster economic recovery.”

According to The Punch, Nigeria was conspicuously missing in the list of beneficiaries in a statement posted on the bank’s website, despite the country being one of the worst hit among developing countries.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a sharp decline in the price and demand of crude oil, Nigeria’s major source of revenue.

Also, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is rising steadily, with about 200 infections recorded since February 27.

There are fears that the country’s health care system will be overstretched by the pandemic, and on Thursday, the Federal Government attempted to beg for ventilators, a key facility used in caring for coronavirus patients, from an American billionaire, Elon Musk.

As at 10:30 pm 3rd April there are 210 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria, with four deaths while 25 persons have been discharged after recovering.