Private Sector Key To Nigeria’s COVID-19 Campaign—-Kwara Gov

The Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday said the organised private sector has played strategic roles in Nigeria’s campaign against COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the flag off of the distribution of the food palliatives donated by the private sector-led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the state.

According to a statement, AbdulRazaq commended their efforts which he said included the setting up of isolation centres, medical supports to various states, and the recent donation of food palliatives to vulnerable households across the country.

“We are very appreciative of the efforts by CACOVID in the fight against COVID-19. This is not the first. They were with us at the isolation centre where they made donations of medical supplies and other things . The food palliative is another move. We are really grateful for their interventions to governments across the country,” AbdulRazaq said.

The CACOVID food palliatives to Kwara were 27,360 bags of semolina; 27,360 bags of sugar; 27,360 cartons of pasta; 27,360 bags of salt; 27,360 (10kg) bags of rice; and 54,720 cartons of noodles.

AbdulRazaq said the government would work with CACOVID team to ensure that the palliatives get to the intended beneficiaries — again commending the government’s committee led by Emir of Shonga Dr Haliru Yahya and the civil society organisations for the great job done in the distribution of government’s palliatives.

“I must mention Alhaji Aliko Dangote and others for this feat. They have spent billions of naira to distribute food to all the states. But they understand that they cannot give foods to all Nigerians and that is why it is targeted at the vulnerable families. We are working with them to ensure that it goes to the ward level,” he said.

“Unlike what we distributed earlier, this is for (specific) households and I want to appeal to our people to understand that. This is not the time to say what I got is too small. Whatever you get, please say AlhamduliLlah. CACOVID has a template and we will allow them to make use of their template for the distribution. We will follow their template. I sincerely thank the Emir of Shonga, Dr Yahya Haliru, other members of the state committee, and the civil society organisations for the way they handled the distribution of the state’s palliatives. I also thank all the traditional rulers for the way they handled COVID-19 issue.”

CACOVID Representative and Zonal Head of Access Bank Muhammed Adelabu said the coalition came together to rally support for the Nigerian governments in the fight against the pandemic, adding that the coalition has so far commissioned 38 isolation centres and donated over 100,000 test kits and various personal protective equipments across the 36 states of the country.

“Today, we have commenced the third phase of our intervention plan in the fight to combat and eradicate COVID-19 in Nigeria; the CACOVID National Food Relief Programme which will see the distribution of various food items to over 1.6m families i.e over 10 million Nigerians across the country,” Adelabu said.

“We are doing this to help the most vulnerable households that have been affected by the coronavirus.”

Isa Ibrahim, whose household received from the CACOVID palliatives, commended the private sector-led initiative for their support and the state government for its laudable efforts to combat the virus as well as spread development to every corner of the state.

Tunde Mohammed, another beneficiary, also lauded the initiative and praised the Governor for his “developmental strides especially in the areas of water, road, and health where we can see things for ourselves.”

Similarly, the state government lauded the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF for a robust partnership spanning close to three decades to accelerate the State drive to prosperity.

The State Commissioner for Finance and Planning, Mrs Florence Olasumbo Oyeyemi gave the commendation during a training session for selected Monitoring and Evaluation Officers organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Planning in Ilorin, the state capital.

Oyeyemi also commended UNICEF for its unwavering support in ensuring the State has a Monitoring and Evaluation Policy under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and becoming the second State in Northern Nigeria to attain the laudable feat in the process adding that M&E policy is geared towards ensuring transparency, accountability and efficiency in the implementation of Government projects and policies in the State.

She recalled that UNICEF first made its appearance in the State when Kwara was faced with devastating scourge of Guinea Worm, pointing out that the desease has become a thing of the past as a result of formidable partnership with the Organization.

The Commissioner added that since the Organization’s first appearance in the State, it has enjoyed so many supports across sectors in different capacities including; Vitamin ‘A’ supplement which has greatly reduced Infants and Maternal mortality in the State, other areas, according to her, include Education, Social Protection and support for Effective implementation of Food and Nutrition through Capacity Building for officers.

Oyeyemi commended the organisation for the training of M&E officers describing it as an “addition to the already existing robust partnership with UNICEF” stressing that the State will seek more support from UNICEF especially in the area of Capacity Building on the emerging M&E system in the State.

Earlier, UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Kaduna Field Office, Mr. Olanipekun Oluwashola commended the State Government for its political will to Strengthen the M&E system through Capacity Building for Officers stressing that the training is centered on Result Based Management and it will greatly help the State in it planning and programming to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in her activities if the officers make judicious use of the tools at their disposal at the end of the training session.

Also at the event were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance & Planning, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Folounsho, the State Director Planning, Alhaji Issa N. Ibrahim, the State Director M&E, Pastor Oladipo Samuel.

 

By Aisha Hameed