Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Aso Chambers, State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, 8th August, 2018.
As part of efforts to eradicate polio in Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the acquisition of 150 million-dollar World Bank credit facility to enhance the fight.
Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents shortly after the FEC meeting, presided over by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday in Abuja.
She said that the additional financing would consolidate previous investments that had paid off putting Nigeria on the verge of polio eradication.
“The objective of the project is to assist the Federal Government to achieve and sustain at least 80 per cent coverage in oral polio vaccine immunisation in every state in the country and improve routine immunisation.
“The project will be coordinated by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency at the federal level and implemented in the 12 lagging states, including Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.’’
She said that the project had three components- Polio Eradication Support, Routine Immunisation Support and Routine Immunisation System Strengthening.
According to her, the project will help the implementation of national and state level Polio Immunisation campaigns and support the procurement of vaccines for routine immunisation.
The minister said the facility would provide critically needed funds to avoid any disruption in polio eradication activities, sustain coverage and prevent deterioration in routine immunisation.
“It is important to know that Nigeria is making significant progress on polio eradication.
“The country has officially interrupted the transmission of wild polio virus with no recorded cases in the past 21 months and if there are no cases by July 2019, Nigeria will be certified polio free.
“The proposed project will provide financial support to the government’s efforts in eradicating polio.’’
Adeosun said that FEC had also approved the award of contract for the supply and installation of Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60; training of120 officers and integration of Rapiscan Eagle M60 Scanners into Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II.
She said that the contract, awarded to Messrs Air Waves Ltd., was worth N8.047 billion.
“Currently, there are no functional scanners in all the ports for the operations of Nigeria Customs Service as the ones previously installed are now unserviceable.
“The development has negative effect on the operations of the service.
“ To solve this challenge, NCS has identified Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60 as a suitable option.
