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While COVID-19 emergency procurement requires expediency, transparency is still paramount. This was, however, not the case for the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, who altered contract figures, removing ₦326 million, following an FOI request.
Nigeria’s federal agencies continue to shun transparency and accountability in the procurement of COVID-19 items and contracting. And with ₦600,000 for a laptop and ₦1.49 million in excesses for furniture and tents, what should MDAs prioritise during a health crisis?
COVID-19 has had a dire effect on global economies. Rising infection rates led to social distancing directives, persistent lockdowns, business closures, travel restraints, salary cuts, and a looming high unemployment situation. As a result, economic activity shrunk dramatically, and with it the food supply value chain globally.
Education in Nigeria is a difficult subject, COVID-19 made it worse, neigh unbearable. Luckily, civic and non-profits are taking initiative ahead of NABTEB exams.
An undeniable reality is that COVID-19 has changed the world in diverse ways. It has affected lives, devastated livelihoods, crippled economies, and even remodelled trends. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, “everything has been impacted. How we live and interact with each other, how we work and communicate, how we move around and travel. Every aspect of our lives has been affected”. But bringing it home, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) highlights the ripple effect the pandemic set off in Nigeria using four states surveyed.
With the current statistics, the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria is not yet over
Health is wealth, but a 2018 Demographic and Health Survey report shows that 8.3 per cent of Nigerians are poor in this respect. It further explains the premise to cover basic functional domains, i.e. senses, movement and communication, amongst others.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged governments to ensure the money and measures used for COVID-19 related expenses are helping the people who need it most.
Nigerian citizens on Tuesday demanded an investigation into the outrageous contracts and inflated prices of Personal Protective Equipment awarded by five federal agencies of government.
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), an agency of the federal government, has spent N5,600 on one unit of hand sanitiser (500ml) for a procurement deal worth ₦5.6 million. This is one of the many outrageous and inflated contracts as regards COVID-19 spending in Nigeria.
Only one in every seven COVID-19 cases in Lagos have recovered from the disease. The recovery rate is slightly different in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where only two in every seven cases have recovered from the viral disease
The latest UBEC’s school infrastructure data has shown that only 5 out of 10 Classrooms In Nigeria are good. Sadly, these good classrooms accommodate an average of 104 Students Per Class. This is according to the Compendium of Public School’s Basic Education Profile Indicators 2018.
At least five key food classes have shown the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on economic returns and by extension, the consumption pattern of Nigerians.
According to the Dataphyte investigation, COVID-19 emergency procurements worth ₦451.18 million have been awarded to unverifiable contractors or suppliers.
The updated implementation guidelines for extension of lockdown has revealed a structured return to the “normal” Nigerian life. Although there are still public restriction measures, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has sagged key measures regarding business resumption. The new guidelines establish new protocols on education, transportation, banking, manufacturing, civil service, and the hospitality industry.
