*US President, Donald Trump’s government has continued to support Nigeria despite having overwhelming COVID-19 challenges in his own country
United States of American government under the leadership of President Donald Trump has disclosed that the new funding for Nigeria for the prevention and mitigation of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has reached $21.4 million.
The US, in a statement April 23 by its Mission in Abuja, said that the funding is meant to support critical activities to control the spread of the disease, such as rapid public-health information campaigns, water and sanitation and preventing and controlling infections in healthcare facilities. The statement added that as part of this comprehensive response from the American people, the US Department of State and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have committed nearly $508 million in emergency health, humanitarian and economic assistance, aside the funding it already provided to multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) helping communities around the world in dealing with the pandemic.
It said, “The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of State, announced on April 17 that new funding for Nigeria for prevention and mitigation of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has reached $21.4 million.
“Approximately four fifths of the assistance – nearly $18 million – will go towards humanitarian assistance and includes risk communication, water and sanitation activities, infection prevention and coordination, and humanitarian assistance for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. The U.S. government is leading the world’s humanitarian and health response to the COVID-19 pandemic even while we battle the virus at home.” U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard said, “Our assistance is rolling out gradually as we reconfigure priorities in response to the evolving situation,” she said.
