The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) said state governors will revise their 2020 budgets due to the effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the nation’s economy.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi who disclosed this at the end of governors’ meeting on Wednesday said the NGF secretariat has been directed to provide technical assistance to state governments to establish common macroeconomic assumptions that would help states prepare revised budgets for 2020.
According to Governor Fayemi, the governors expressed concerned at the continued movement of people across states despite the enforcement of inter-state lockdowns across states, and promised to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force to enforce it.
He said the NGF promised to strengthen security surveillance along state borders, using members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and Local Government Chairmen in the states.
Fayemi who is governor of Ekiti State, also expressed worry at rising cases of infections among health workers handling coronavirus cases and agreed to provide insurance cover to health workers in their states.
He promised the state governors would make personal protective equipment (PPE) available in all general hospitals and health facilities as well as provide other incentives, including allowances as may be required, to the health workers.
“Members are collaborating with the NCDC to provide training to health workers (including their capacity to use telemedicine) on infectious disease control and prevention and the use of PPE to stem the spread of the virus to health workers,” Fayemi added.
The Ekiti State governor further disclosed that the state chief executives also assured the Presidents the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), who made presentations at the meeting, that of their commitment to ensure that health workers who were in the frontlines of the epidemic were not left behind in the areas of welfare and safety.
They commended the President of Dangote Grpup, Alhaji Aliko Dangote for his involvement in the fight against COVID-19 in the country, and pledged to provide logistical support to ensure that palliatives get to the people who need them.
“Governors expressed strong appreciation to the private sector coalition for the provision of palliatives to households and testing facilities to help curb the spread of the coronavirus,” the statement said.