Why 15-Man Chinese Team Came To Nigeria – Aregbesola

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has revealed the mission of the 15-man Chinese experts in Nigeria.

At the Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday, Aregbesola said the experts are in Nigeria on the bill of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and their mission was to assist in building and equipping isolation centres.

“Indeed 15 Chinese nationals came into Nigeria on 8th of April. They are here on the bill of the CCECC, a Chinese company doing some works for us in Nigeria in conjunction with some Nigerian companies they agreed to support us in the effort to respond to the pandemic,” he explained.

“At Idu isolation centre in Abuja, they participated in retrofitting and equipping the isolation centre. They equally worked on the Dome project, that was handled by the NNPC Construction in conjunction with ThisDay.

“So, those are the locations in which they came to work. Both in retrofitting the Iju facility and installing critical essential medical equipment.”

The Interior further revealed that the Chinese nationals were still in the country because there is a restriction on travel occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recall that the whereabouts of the Chinese experts generated serious controversy in the country, following response by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire to journalist that he had no idea of their whereabouts and that they were host to the Chinese construction company.

The company’s Managing Director, Michael Yigao however told newsmen on Monday that the team were in their care and would leave as soon as commercial flights resume in the country.