In its bid to manage the workplace and ensure it is safe for Nigerian workers, within the public service, the Federal Government has budgeted the sum of N109 billion for various purposes to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The amount of N190,368,935,663 represented 4 per cent of the 2022 proposed capital expenditure of N5.37 trillion.
Tribune Online interrogation of the COVID-19 spendings in the 2022 budget revealed that about 39 agencies proposed different sums to manage the impact of the pandemic in the Federal Government workplace.
The Ministry of Health naturally proposed the highest budget, for the 2022 post-COVID-19 management measures, in the 2022 appropriation bill before the national assembly.
Accordingly, it proposed a cumulative sum of N45, 607,175,872 for Assessment of 1COVID-9 impact, implementation of health sector response, protection and care to vulnerable members of the public and vaccine development and national preparedness for COVID-19.
These reflected in the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERPG) 25158256, N15,000,000; ERGP 25158238, N39,798,682; ERGP 25158419, N91,576,069; ERGP and 25158420, N53,809,013.
The others are ERGP 25159807, N60,492,108; ERGP 25174121 captured the sum of N230,000,000 earmarked for Pandemic response research for health security strengthening the national health research ecosystem to support vaccines and pharmaceutical development.
The ERGP 25180293 had the figure N45,116,500,000 to be spent o. multilateral/bilateral project tied in loans -Nigeria COVID-19 preparedness and response project (COREP).
The ministry of education budgeted the sum of N122,571,242 captured in her ERGP for provisions in the 104 unity schools.
According to her budget details, the multi-million budget would be used for the provision of (solar/generator power) boreholes with reticulation, VIP toilets at strategic areas in both hostel and classroom areas in 104 FGCs and a modern kitchen to address health sanitation in line with Global COVID-19 safety protocols
Another N50,000,000 was captured in the ERGP 18169015, for the sustainability of the girl child education through the services of ongoing SDG4 girl-child scholarship. It will also ensure awareness creation of students on the production of hand sanitisers, soap, and Dettol for their personal use in line with COVID-19 safety protocols and SDG4 national computer boot camp for the girl child.
Over 20 agencies committed over N20 million in their respective departments and agency to combat post-COVID-19 challenges in their respective environment.
Dr Tami Uba of the UDH coaching said efforts at boosting the workplace to be safer for the Nigerian worker was commendable.
She said the development would give more to the Nigerian worker and the government because the safety of the workplace on health issues guarantee better output especially with the advent of Covid 19 and all its attendant challenges to the workers’ health.
She said a steady positive health situation for the Nigerian population would be sufficient to stand against the impact of any future pandemic, should it happen.
She said employers from the public and private sectors, owe their workers, the responsibility to provide workplace health services that could reduce tension and improve the health of the worker and by extension, their workplace.
Dr Uba held a training workshop that exposed federal workers to the importance of workplace health issues for personal and corporate gain.
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MDAs proposes N190 billion to mitigate post-COVID-19 impacts