SINCE the Covid-19 global pandemic touched down in Nigeria in late February, there have been concerted efforts by the private and public sectors to mobilise resources to contain its spread. As early as March 26, the Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID) emerged to mobilise private sector leadership and resources to support health facilities to respond to the crisis, to increase public awareness about the pandemic, and to extend testing to at least two million people. Donations to the CACOVID relief fund totaled over N28bn as of May 6, with the chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) donating N2bn each.
For the public sector, the Federal Government initially released N15 billion to both the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Lagos State, the epicentre of the outbreak. It promised that relief materials would be provided for residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around the affected states. Then on March 16, the CBN announced a series of measures, including N100 billion intervention fund in healthcare loans to pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners intending to expand or build capacity. It also included N1 trillion in loans to boost local manufacturing and production across critical sectors. Another N50 billion was targeted at households and micro and small enterprises. At the state level, governors have claimed that they have spent billions of naira on the effort to contain the spread of Covid-19.
While Nigerians are excited about the concerted efforts and commitment by the various governments to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, they have expressed distrust about the use of the resources so far committed to dealing with it. This is largely because of previous experiences with government officials who are notorious for mismanaging public resources. Nigerians want the government to demonstrate transparency and accountability in utilising the resources. They insist that government officials and politicians should not use the global pandemic as a means of self-enrichment. This is particularly so because of the grave consequences it would have on the effort to contain the pandemic and on the poor who face direct threats to their livelihoods and are supposed to benefit from the funds that have been earmarked as palliatives for them. A large number of citizens have been under one form of restriction or another, and not a few persons have been rendered incapable of pursuing their sources of daily bread. They have faced hunger. If resources are effectively channeled, the outcome will be quick success in the effort to contain the various and ameliorate the consequences of lockdowns and restrictions on livelihoods and small businesses.
We note that while updates are being given to Nigerians on the activities of the government to contain the spread of the virus, these have not been accompanied by information on spending. It is important that reporting on government activities be accompanied with explanations on the use of the donated funds. In response to demands for fund accountability by civil society organisations and the media, on May 5, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation issued guidelines for the management of Covid-19 funds in Nigeria. It mandated prompt response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests as one of the conditions for spending the funds dedicated to fighting Covid-19 in the country, including mitigation of its social and economic effects on Nigerians. The guidelines contained seven other items, namely that, among others, the Accountant-General of the Federation must publicise on a daily basis, all inflows and outflows for the funds, and the statement must show the source of the outflow. The funds are not to be disbursed without appropriation by the National Assembly as a supplementary budget with detailed needs submitted by the affected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) together with estimated costs as the basis for allocation of funds, to enable post-expenditure reporting and audit.
While we urge public officials to follow these guidelines, we urge them not to use the transparency and accountability requirement to derail or slow down the pace of work being done. We also note that expenditure on Covid-19 is not confined to the Federal Government. Already, some state governors have claimed that they spent billions of naira on the Covid-19 effort without providing details on how these expenditures were incurred. We call on state governments and local governments to follow the example of the Federal Government by providing guidelines on the expenditure and accountability procedures for the Covid-19 intervention. We hope transparent and accountable use of public resources will enable civil society and the media to follow the money and ensure that it is effectively administered according to the purposes stipulated and advertised.
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