By Tony Obiechina, ABUJA
Nigeria and Japan on Tuesday signed a 14.2 million dollar grant to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma signed the deal for Nigeria and the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Yukata Kikuta for Japan, at a ceremony in Abuja witnessed by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewale.
The total cost of the project is put at JPY 1,580,000,00 (One Billion Five Hundred and Eighty Million Japanese Yen), which is an equivalent of USD 14,246m (Fourteen Million Two Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand USD).
Senator Udoma noted that the project is in line with the objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), which has ‘investing in our people’ as one of the three broad objectives.
“Under the ERGP we are committed to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare. We are therefore appreciative of the Japanese Government for supporting this project which is directed at improving healthcare in Nigeria”, he said.
The Minister while noting that Nigeria, like many other African countries, has had outbreaks of infectious diseases from time to time, said the Nigerian Government is determined to address emerging public health threats whenever they may occur.
He stated however, that “given the limited resources that we have, we therefore appreciate this support given by the Government of Japan to improve and strengthen the work of the NCDC.”
He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to achieving sustainable economic development as set out in the ERGP and was appreciative of the support the country continues to receive from the Japanese government.
Minister of Health, Prof Adewale, while acknowledging that this would not be the first time the Japanese Government would be intervening in critical sectors in Nigeria, expressed the hope that the new project will enlarge the capacity of the NCDC to diagnose and treat serious cases. “The health sector is grateful to Japan for this gesture”, he added.
The Japanese Ambassador, Mr Kikuta, stated that Japan has over the years built and maintained consistent partnership with Nigeria towards strengthening and improving Nigeria’s health sector.
He said that it is a common fact that access to health systems is a key to improving the quality of life of a people and promoting a country’s development, Kikuta adding that NCDC plays an essential role in controlling infectious diseases but suffers from a shortage of containment facilities and instruments required for the safe, rapid and accurate handling of infectious diseases.
