COVID19: Governors To Adopt New Data To Strengthen The Distribution Of Palliatives

Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has resolved to adopt a new data to strengthen the distribution of palliatives put in place and support from various organisations and persons.

Governors disclosed this in a communique issued on Friday morning by it’s at the end of the forum’s third COVID-19 teleconference meeting.

According to Fayemi,  the adoption followed an update from Olubayo Adekanmi, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria on ongoing work with the NGF Secretariat to estimate the vulnerability profile of all States based on their populations, age risk, international travel profile, population density and state contiguity, epidemiological metrics and spending patterns.

The Governor said that the Forum received update from the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, on the response of his ministry to the COVID-19 pandemic, including support to State Governments to help them identify vulnerable persons through a data mining study coordinated by the Nigerian Communications Commission with the support of telecommunications providers in the country.

He added: “The Forum commended the Minister for taking a functional role in the COVID-19 response and assured him of their resolve to use all relevant data available to target palliatives to the most vulnerable persons in the most effective and efficient manner.

“Governors are taking necessary measures to strengthen operations in their Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) to improve the communication response between distressed citizens and Emergency Response Agencies (ERAs) including the State Emergency Agency, ambulances, police, Fire Service and the Federal Road safety Corps. Operations will be resident in the ECCs to process distress calls and contact relevant ERAs.”