COVID-19: Jonathan urges stronger economies to support Africa with test kits, funds

- Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan has called stronger economies to support Africa in the fight against COVID-19

- The former president urged that African countries be supported with necessary kits and funds for aggressive testing

- Jonathan explained that lockdown in countries may not be very productive if there is no effective testing

Following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria's former president Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has urged the WHO, stronger economies, and others to come to the aid of African countries.

Jonathan in a statement by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, and made available to Legit.ng, made an appeal for African countries to be supported with buying the necessary equipment and kits.

He noted that this would enable more aggressive COVID-19 testing that makes the current imposed lockdown on cities more productive.

The former president speaking on the importance of aggressive tests in Africa said if there is no effective testing, locking down populations may not be very productive.

Jonathan revealed this last weekend while speaking as a panelist in an international web-based conference organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

He went on to appeal to international financing and donor agencies to consider granting economic palliatives to help weaker nations cope with the economic difficulties brought by the pandemic.

He said: “It is true that many African nations are observing lockdown of cities and maintaining isolation centres, but if there is no effective testing, locking down populations as currently obtainable in many African countries may not be very effective. This is because people within the communities will continue to spread the virus even without knowing."

The former president also called for greater synergy among the different levels of government which is obviously a limiting factor, in order to effectively combat the virus in Africa.

He stressed that the efforts of national governments might not yield the desired fruits without the buy-in of the sub-national governments.

Jonathan speaking on post-COVID-19 in the continent advised African countries to collaborate more and look inwards for initiatives that would engender accelerated economic development.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP)-Africa pledged support for the efforts of African leaders towards containing the deadly disease currently ravaging the whole world.

The council also urged international agencies and foundations to strengthen the hands of African nations as they battle COVID-19 pandemic by supporting their effort to procure the much-needed medical supplies such as testing kits, protective gear and ventilators.

The group made this known in a statement issued on Thursday, April 9, in Abuja.

In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari has eased the lockdown measures imposed on Lagos, Abuja, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja beginning from Saturday, May 2.

The president made this known in a nationwide broadcast to Nigerians on Monday, April 27, after the end of a one-month lockdown since Monday, March 30.

President Buhari stated that the decision is in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, various federal government committees, and the Nigeria Governors Forum.

Similarly, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the coronavirus pandemic has said despite progress so far made to combat the spread of the infection, the country had yet a long ground to cover.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the (PTF), Boss Mustapha, who stated this on Monday, April 27, at the daily media briefing in Abuja, also said the situation in Kano state was being closely monitored.

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Source: Legit.ng