United nations, Nigerian government approve $22million from coronavirus basket fund to procure vital medical supplies

The United Nations (UN) in conjunction with the Federal Government on Thursday allocated the sum of $22 million for the acquisition of testing kits and laboratory equipment in fight against coronavirus in Nigeria, and this approval was based on the recommendations by the Basket Fund’s Technical Committee, which coordinates technical expertise related to the Fund’s operationality

Penpushing reports that, the project board at a meeting reviewed and agreed on the Basket Fund’s operational modalities and reviewed the funds status report, and In addition to US$12 million approved for the procurement of PPE’s in April 2020,

The United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria Edward Kallon in his opening remarks at the meeting explained that the report on funds received and allocated through the Basket Fund will be publicly available through the UNDP Nigeria website.

Penpushing further reports that, Kallon who is co-chair of the Project Board noted that the Basket Fund is a strong demonstration of the commitment to multilateralism and alignment of resources to address the pandemic.

“Given the nature of the pandemic and the response the Basket Fund is supporting, we should not lose sight of the urgent need to strengthen state-level coordination of the response and impact of the pandemic on women, the informal sector and vulnerable groups” he added.

The objective of One UN COVID-19 Response Plan for Nigeria Basket Fund is to ensure optimum care of confirmed COVID-19 cases and contain the spread of the outbreak through an inclusive and nationally owned process and based on emerging best practices from previous health emergencies as well other countries experiences during the COVID-19 crisis.

The ‘One UN COVID-19 Response Plan for Nigeria’ presents a comparative advantage, because funds channelled and allocated through the Basket Fund are promptly deployed for effective implementation in support of the response. The platform also creates a political space necessary for better alignment and cohesion among national and international stakeholders in the broader COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

Penpushing also reports that, Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS Ambassador Ketil Karlsen said, “I have never seen a mechanism of this nature established so rapidly. It is a true reflection of the need to act with urgency The European Union has made a contribution of €50millionto the Basket Fund, a significant proportion of funding towards the pandemic response made outside Europe ”

The fund will be implemented over 24 months, managed by UNDP on behalf of the wider UN System in Nigeria. The ultimate beneficiaries of the Basket Fundare.  Nigerians in all States where project interventions will be carried out. This project has a specific focus on the poor, marginalised and most vulnerable including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, IDPs/refugees, people living with HIV/AIDs, among others.

“The Federal Government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to deal with what has now become a health and humanitarian crisis. We also need to address the social impact of COVID-19, including challenges of loss of income, food insecurity and economic breakdown affecting the most vulnerable. The complementary support of the UN system will help the Government to address the compounding challenges emerging from the pandemic.” said, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Penpushing reports that, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, the UN Country Team developed a joint UN COVID-19 response strategy, which includes support for the establishment and management of a Basket Fund.

The Basket Fund was launched on 6 April 2020 and aims to support the rapid implementation of Nigeria’s National COVID-19 Multi-sectoral Pandemic Response Plan in ten^[1] areas, and the basket fund can also support actions that aim to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable segments of the Nigerian society.

Penpushing further reports that, a ‘basket fund’ arrangement in the context of UN joint COVID-19 response is an instrument aimed at accelerating pace of implementation and improving coordination among donors and partners involved in the delivery of these very complex and time-sensitive highly visible project.

The Nigeria One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund Project Board comprises  Ministers from relevant Federal Ministries and representatives from fund contributing donors, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the UN in Nigeria).

Meanwhile, in attendance were, Dr.Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister of Health; Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu Director-General, NCDC; Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; Dr. Sani Aliyu, National Coordinator and Co-chair Presidential Task Force; Amb. Ketil Karlsen, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.C. Catriona Laing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, and Dr. Paulin Basinga, Country Director, Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation among others