PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has charged the ECOWAS Commission to come up with an economic recovery plan to help member-states to recover from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, President Buhari made the demand in his capacity as the ECOWAS Covid-19 Champion at a virtual meeting with the President of the Commission, Jean Kassi-Brou.
The report also revealed that President Buhari offered to provide logistic support to enable the sub-region receive and distribute procured and donated medical equipment using Abuja as the hub for the distribution.
While commending ECOWAS member-states for robust supports to the stakeholders in the fight against spread of the pandemic particularly to West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) and Africa Centre for Disease Control, the Nigerian leader lamented that the pandemic is however to get adequate attention in the sub-region and warned against laxity in the fight against it.
Buhari acknowledged swift interventions by the Jack Ma Foundation, European Union, African Development Bank, France and Germany for their financial contributions in the procurement of medical supplies.
In his report to President Buhari, the President of ECOWAS Commission advocated additional strategies to assist the sub-region in fighting the health and economic impact of COVID-19.
According to Kassi-Brou, these include, the need for advocacy at continental and global levels particularly with the G20, World Bank, United Nations and the African Development Bank among others, for support to negate the health and economic damage to the ECOWAS sub-region; and mass awareness campaign to achieve behavioural change among the citizens of the community with effective customs, security and health protocols put in place throughout the sub-region.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission used the occasion to condole with the government and people of Nigeria on the latest Boko Haram attack on Gubio Local Government in Borno State during which scores of innocent Nigerians were killed.