The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the engagement of 774, 000 Nigerians on Special Public Works programme in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Ahmed disclosed this at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock, on Monday in Abuja.

She explained that 1, 000 people were expected to be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

According to her, the sum of N60 billion for allowances and operational cost has been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund for the initiative.

She disclosed that President Buhari had previously approved a pilot special public works programme in eight states to be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment, NDE.

She added that Buhari had now approved that this programme is extended to all 36 States and the FCT from October to December 2020 and the selected time-frame was to ensure that it was implemented after the planting season.

“The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning are also evaluating how best to extend the Special Public Works Programme, to provide modest stipends for itinerant workers to undertake Roads Rehabilitation and Social Housing Construction.

Ahmed said: “And also Urban and Rural Sanitation, Health Extension and other critical services. This intervention will be undertaken in conjunction with the key federal ministries responsible for Agriculture, Environment, Health and Infrastructure, as well as the states, to financially empower individuals who lose their jobs due to the economic crisis.

“Mr President has approved the establishment of a-N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund. The establishment of the Fund will involve drawing much-needed cash resources from various Special Funds and Accounts, in consultation with and with the approval of the National Assembly.

“The N500 billion is proposed to be utilized to upgrade healthcare facilities as earlier identified by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and approved by Mr President.

“This will help to finance the Federal Government’s Interventions to support states in improving healthcare facilities, finance the creation of a Special Public Works programme and Fund any additional interventions that may be approved by Mr President”.

The minister noted that although similar challenges were experienced in 2008/2009 as well as in 2015/2016, Nigeria had considerably lower fiscal buffers now than in previous economic downturns.

According to her, the decline in international oil prices and domestic production may be magnified if a severe outbreak of COVID-19 occurs, despite ongoing efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic through compulsory lockdown of Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the FCT.

The minister said to directly address these health and economic challenges, the president approved the Fiscal Stimulus Package among others as part of an Integrated Policy Framework to ensure that Nigeria’s healthcare system, fiscal position and economy were sufficiently supported to weather these shocks.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is giving an update on the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

The briefing is ongoing in Abuja with the Chairman of the task force, Boss Mustapha, giving the opening remark.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, noted that field reports on the lockdown have shown some level of compliance with the order.

He stressed the need for persuasion, saying the directive was not aimed at punishing any individual.

The task force chairman, however, appealed to the public for full cooperation in order to curtail the spread of coronavirus and flatten the curve in the country.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, also briefed reporters.

Kaduna State has recorded a new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed positive cases in the state to five.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Baloni, the state sent samples to Ajuba for testing.

According to her, five samples were positive, 77 were negative and eight samples were pending, stressing that the government has begun tracing 119 contacts.

“So far, the State has sent 89 samples to Abuja for testing, among which 5 samples were positive, 77 samples were negative, and 8 samples are pending.

She also disclosed that searching and tracing of 119 contacts of the positive cases are ongoing.

“The State Government has been taking vigorous actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 since February, by reaching out to the Chief Medical Directors of all hospitals in the state, daily evaluation of the pandemic and devising new ways to check the spread,” she said.

The Commissioner further explained that the Ministry of Health has set up an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), who meet daily to take proactive measures against further spread of the disease.

Speaking further, Baloni said the ministry has “reactivated and strengthened the Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC), by posting trained health workers to the facility, who is currently caring for patients, in addition to setting up an alternative isolation centre which has 69 rooms, where mild to moderate cases will be managed.

“In the same vein, Kaduna State Government has also concluded arrangements for the establishment of a testing laboratory in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital(ABUTH), Zaria, for quick diagnosis.”

She believes that when residents of the state cooperate with the government on efforts to control COVID-19, the state will have a reduction in the risk of contracting or spreading the virus.’

Baloni further stated that the state has been conducting massive mobilization both on electronic and print media, including social media, to sensitize the public on the danger of this pandemic.

She noted that different sub-committees have been put in place to coordinate a response to the disease which include the surveillance, Laboratory, coordination and Risk, Communication teams.

The Commissioner also commended “the frontline health workers who are taking care of our patients and the various professional bodies, Development Partners and individuals who have reached out to support the State Government’s efforts”.