Private Sector Stakeholders Mobilise N100bn For FG To Support Fight Against Insecurity

The Coalition Against COVID-19 has mobilised the sum of N100bn to be provided to be provided to the Federal Government to assist security agencies tackle the current spate of insecurity in the country.

The Chairman of United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu revealed this on Saturday night in Abuja at a dinner held by the bank for top executives of UBA.

The dinner was attended by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele who gave the keynote address on “Food security, job creation and the role of the Central Bank.”

CACOVID is a private sector task force in partnership with the Federal Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation with the sole aim of combating Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

Elumelu said the task force is tasked with pulling resources across industries to provide technical and operational support while providing funding and building advocacy through aggressive awareness drives.

In addition to the efforts of the Federal Government, the UBA Chairman said the Coalition, during the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, provided and equipped medical facilities in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

This, he noted, led to the creation of testing, isolation and treatment centers, and include the provision of Intensive Care Units and molecular testing labs.

The Coalition started with Lagos (1,000 beds), Kano (500 beds), Rivers (210 beds), Abuja (200 beds), Enugu (200 beds) and Borno (200 beds) among others.

Elumelu said that in view of the importance of security to national development, CACOVID is using its platform to mobilise funds to equip security agencies.

He said, “Currently, we are using the CACOVID platform to engage the economy.

“We did a lot for the health care and other aspect of the economy during the period of Covid-19.

“We have just put together another N100bn under CACOVID to help support security agencies to address the issue of insecurity in the country.

“We believe that if they are well armed and equipped, it will help reduce the level of insecurity in the country.”