COVID-19: Nigerian Govs adopt teleconferencing for weekly meetings

In its bid to maintain social distancing over Covid-19 pandemic, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has adopted the use of teleconferencing for its meetings.

The governors made this known in a communique its Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi made available to newsmen on Monday.

The communique was entitled ‘COVID-19 pandemic – 1st teleconference meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum held on Sunday, March, 29, 2020.’

In the document, NGF said its members accepted to be holding weekly teleconference meetings to enable them get time to time updates on the coronavirus disease.

He added that this mode of meeting would also help the forum to maintain a coordinated position on the dreaded disease.

On the deliberation of the forum on Sunday, Fayemi said members discussed the level of Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

He said he informed members of the forum about various state-level coordination with the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus, the private sector through the food, beverages and pharmaceuticals association led by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, as well as the MTN Foundation and the donor group led by Messrs. Aliko Dangote and Herbert Wigwe.

Fayemi also said that the forum got an update from the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on the Federal Government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus, as well as plans to increase the capacity of states to improve testing and care for Covid-19 cases.

On the resolution of the NGF members, the forum chairman said that they would be committed to making sure that there was seamless movement of essential commodities throughout the country during the period of the lockdown.

“To strengthen private sector-led support for the COVID-19 pandemic, the NGF secretariat will serve as the coordination mechanism by tracking the COVID-19 essential needs of all states, including equipment for contact tracing/sample collection, diagnosis and treatment,” Fayemi added.