Osinbajo speaks on challenges of fighting coronavirus in Nigeria

Osinbajo speaks on challenges of fighting coronavirus in Nigeria

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said it’s difficult fighting coronavirus effectively in Nigeria because of the nation’s massive population.

He noted that government was able to manage activities in smaller measures through States which makes it possible for reassessment based on responses across sub-national and adjust where necessary.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at a virtual conference entitled “How Africa’s Informal Sector Reacts to COVID-19”, organized by Africa.come.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said Nigeria has the advantage of being able to manage her problems in smaller measure, by dividing them, because she runs a Federation.

The statement said, Mr. Hakeem Bello-Osagie, a Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer of Business Administration, and Teresa Clarke, CEO of Africa.com, moderated the discussions with participation by several thousand who signed in across the world.

Besides Prof Osinbajo, others who spoke at the webinar were President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana; Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna; Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Professor of Economics, Yale University; and Amandla Ooko-Ombaka, Senior Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Co.

He said, providing support to small businesses in the informal sector should be a priority for all economies aiming at lessening any adverse effect of the pandemic on the economy.

According to Osinbajo, “perhaps we have the advantage of being able to manage our problems in smaller measure, or by dividing them, of course, we run a federation, which means that Gov. Nasir could do some very excellent work there in Kaduna, Lagos could do some excellent work, Ogun state and others could also do some excellent work.

“But of course, by the very nature of this pandemic, it also means that you run the risk of everything going south if some state isn’t doing as well as it ought to.