How N19bn donation to fight Covid-19 should be spent

In making clarifications regarding accusations of conversion of the contributions received from corporate moguls towards the fight against Covid – 19, the Federal Government recently explained that the N19 billion donated had not hit its purse.

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Properly applied and used, this amount could actually help greatly to curb the dangerous disease, save lives and create employment opportunities.

Recently, two Nigerians came up to demonstrate the positive can-do qualities other Nigerians need to imbibe, following a request by the Federal government that people who can help in these trying times should do so.

Tunde Okoya and Usman Dalhatu harkened to the call and have provided a leading solution to patients care. They have produced ventilators. To those who have listened to USA’s president, Donald Trump’s lamentation over hoarding of the vital equipment by some states in his country, and his suggestion that a structured use of ventilators could be worked out based on pressing needs basis, this development is God-sent. 

Something big can therefore be done, using these two Nigerians.       

From the social media video shared on Usman Dalhatu’s ventilator, it could be seen clearly that local materials and circuitry was used to package it. If a Chinese man did this at a time China is in need, all the paraphernalia of state would be deployed to produce and export the product. So, without a reminder or shove, the Federal Government should quickly create a cluster of support groups around these two people who have declared that they are ready to patriotically support Nigeria.

Agencies and organisations like the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, the Bank of Industry, BOI and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, among others should be called to provide the needed technical support to merge the products of these two people into a cost-effective mass product. Nigeria needs to churn out a minimum of one million ventilators in the next one to two months so that we can properly deploy the key equipment in case there is an explosion of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The current executive secretary of the National Automotive Council, NAC, Jelani Aliyu, is an example of a talent Nigeria lost to America and had to recall to help the nation decades after. He was a young creator of vintage cars designs whose sketches attracted the American automobiles maker that quickly sucked him away from ‎a system that does not act quickly on giftedness among its people.

Today, we have an opportunity to stop death by the thousands and export a much needed equipment by quickly partnering with the producers of ventilators. Many countries will beg for the ventilators. Nigeria can fill this gap while saving its citizens.  

It is okay to send tonnes of food as palliative to the aged, poor and underserved in the country. It is okay to think of the welfare of the needy at a time like this. But it is more important to ensure people do not die needlessly.

Citizens and local industries can be mobilised to help. An example has always shimmered from how nations that host Olympic Games prevail on their citizens to donate old mobile phones and time pieces from which gold is extracted to produce trophies and medals. The government can reach out to producers of pumps, plastic pipes and other parts needed to produce ventilators for help. This is one way the altruistic donations of N19 billion by individuals and corporate Nigeria to fight Covid-19 can be used. Nigeria’s leadership should seize the moment!