The United Nations, UN, has expressed concerns about the effect and true magnitude of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, saying that, it is yet unclear.
According to the global body, the quality of response to the disease must match the scale of the crisis.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, who stated this during the launch of the Nigeria/UN Covid-19 Basket Fund, in Abuja, said: “This is a trying moment for all of us, as our shared humanity is under threat of Covid-19 pandemic.
‘’Societies around the globe are in turmoil, and economies are in a nose-dive. It is still unclear what the true magnitude of the spread and impact of the virus will look like in Nigeria. The available emerging evidence is, however, clear. The only effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic is testing, isolation, and contact-tracing.
“From preliminary macro and micro social economic analysis, the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to place immense pressure on Nigeria’s healthcare system, and will result in a serious economic and fiscal pressure, with a risk of a negative social impact, if proactive measures are not taken to prevent, prepare, respond, and cushion the economic impact of the pandemic.
“The International Monetary Fund has reassessed the global prospect for growth for 2020 and 2021, declaring that we have entered a recession, as bad as or worse than in 2009.
‘’We must respond decisively, innovatively, and together, to suppress the spread of the virus, and address the socio-economic devastation that Covid-19 is causing in our world today.”
