Federal Govt Tasked On Preparedness Against Future Pandemics

Experts have tasked the federal government on preparedness ahead of future pandemics as research centres predict that the world is likely to experience another pandemic known as Severe Epidemic Enterovirus Respitory Syndrome (SEERS) by by 2025.

Prof. Ummu Jalingo of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stated this at a one day dialogue on women’s economic empowerment and government Covid-19 interventions, organised by the development Research and Projects Centre’s (dRPC),
in Abuja.

She noted that the country was ill prepared for the COVID -19 pandemic and that the lessons cannot be ignored.

“We have not seen the end of pandemics. Covid 19 have taught us a lot of lessons, we cannot afford to ignore. We were ill prepared for what to come.We cannot afford to be complacent next time.

“Vaccines, boosters and health infrastructure need serious retooling, rebutting and reengineering.

“Serious economies are already bracing up to worst case scenarios through simulations, she said.

According to data collected by dRPC’ and Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED), out of the N1.24 trillion COVID-19 intervention fund, N10.62 billion was allocated to women and youths.

It showed that the COVID-19 intervention projects and funds are largely gender-blind, and that there is a chance that women will lose out in the struggle for opportunity to other powerful social groups

The total sum between 2020 to 2023 saw allocations to women targeted projects under the fund continue to dwindle since the 2020 allocation of N9.8 billion, the data disclosed.

The organisation said unfortunately, no specific COVID-19 intervention budget line targeted women’s economic collectives between 2021 and 2023.

“In 2020, N9.8 billion was allocated to the COVID-19 intervention fund for women and young people. In 2021, this amount was decreased to N205 million, followed by N518 million in 2022, and finally N30 million in 2023.

“Between 2020 and 2023, the sum N1.24 trillion was allocated as Covid-19 intervention fund and N10.62 billion, representing 0.85 per cent was allocated to women.

“Also between 2021 and 2023, the sum N745.97 billion was allocated as Covid-19 intervention fund and N764.07 million, representing 0.10 per cent was allocated to women.

“Only 15 of the 274 COVID-19 intervention projects have women targets in the national budgets for 2021–2023. This merely makes up 5.47 percent of the overall figure. Thus, there is no specific COVID-19 intervention budget line targeted at women’s economic collectives between 2021 and 2023.

“Evidence from the national budget document, there is issue of limited national coverage in the design and development of many MDAs Covid-19 intervention projects in each year,” the report says.