Members of the private sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) are targeting one million Nigerians for coronavirus tests in a massive multi-billion naira support for the governments’ fights against the pandemic.
In the support programme unfolded on Monday, they spoke of plans to distribute food palliatives to not less than 1.7 million households and build 37 six isolation centres (one each in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The facilities are to be built in three phases of one each in the six geo-political zones (Phase I). The coalition plans to provide 20 in the second phase and 11 in the final phase.
CACOVID’s programme is built on three critical areas of increasing testing, expanding treatment through isolation centres and other medical supports and providing humanitarian and social supports through food palliatives and sensitisation campaigns.
The coalition has so far raised about N26 billion as it continues its mobilisation of other private companies and individuals to join the efforts by the government in containing the pandemic.
At a news briefing to formally unveil its programmes, CACOVID leaders outlined plans to build isolation centres in the six zones in the immediate and the remaining 31 in subsequent phases.
The isolation centres were estimated at between N16 billion and N20 billion.
According to the, the coalition will in the next few weeks, launch the distribution of food palliatives across the 774 local government areas of the country with a strategic intent to get basic food items to the most vulnerable people.
COCAVID said it aimed at enabling about one million testing across the country under the globally acclaimed strategy of test, detect, isolate and treat while also deploying enormous human resources and expertise of participating institutions and individuals across the country to support government’s efforts on logistics, awareness and mobilisation.
According to the coalition, it has already ordered for 250,000 supplies for test kits and another 150,000 extraction kits to fast-track molecular testing.
Already, isolation centres are being set up in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Borno, Enugu and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while renovations of hospitals and medical supplies are being carried out in other states.
Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Zouera Youssoufou, explained that all CACOVID partners are ready to roll out in all parts of the country having commenced building and equipping of isolation centers in some states.
According to her, there are currently three testing platforms for molecular testing in Nigeria, one of which is the “Open PCR machines”, which the coalition has ordered for 10 units, with eight laboratories certified to conduct COVID-19 tests.
She said: “Open PCR machine is currently the standard platform. Eight labs in Nigeria are certified to conduct Covid-19 testing; 10 new PCR machines and 150,000 extraction kits have been ordered. The other is Roche Cobus Platform with six machines in Nigeria, each capable of testing 960 tests at a time. Nigeria was on track to receive 38,000 but we have ordered 250,000. 10,000 tests ordered by UNICEF have arrived on Thursday, April 16.
“We also have Cepheid Gene Expert Machines – there are 400 machines installed in the country. 250 are expected to be functional with trained lab technicians. Cepheid has developed a COVID-19 testing cartridge that has received FDA approval, and will begin shipping to Africa in two weeks. We have ordered 250,000 cartridges and expect shipment receipt in two weeks.”
Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said the coalition is combining medical and social supports with thought leadership to ensure a comprehensive approach to the challenges posed by Coronavirus.
Wigwe said: “One, it was clear from beginning that no one institution can go it alone, so we solicit everybody’s cooperation in tackling this scourge. Two, while several measures are being taken to stop the spread, including lockdowns, restriction, social distancing, there is the need to address the hunger. How do we cater for the feeding needs of the people if these measures are to be effective?”
He added that the coalition is providing thought leadership to tackle the post-pandemic aspect as a lot of businesses have been badly affected and economies have been disrupted and governments and private sector stakeholders must work together to get them back to life after Coronavirus might have been defeated.
Explaining the modalities to get the food relief materials to the targeted households, Wigwe pointed out that it would be done from the bottom of the pyramid, which is the 774 local government areas where the CACOVID partners would be assigned to deliver the materials.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Communications Nigeria, Mr. Ferdi Moolman urged other private sector organisations which are yet to identify with CACOVID to join hands and make their modest contributions.
Justifying why no organisation could afford to stay aloof, Mr. Moolman said the whole world is not at peace presently and every nation is on its own fighting the battle of COVID-19.
“What we are facing is unprecedented in our lifetime, we need to stand together to fight this,” Moolman said.