President Muhammadu Buhari has established a Presidential Task Force for the Control of the Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19).
A statement by the President’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said that this is necessary “given the current global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and its potential of causing significant disruption to health services in the country as well as impacting negatively on the economy”.
This action, Shehu stated, is in preparation for the unlikely but probable major outbreak of the disease in the country, which will require a multi-sectoral inter-governmental approach as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) similar to that adopted for the HIV epidemic in the last two decades.
The start and finish task group which would be expected to deliver within a maximum period of six months, comprises the following:
a. Mr. Boss Mustapha (SGF) – Chair
b. Dr. Sani Aliyu – National Coordinator
c. Hon. Minister of Health
d. Hon. Minister of Interior
e. Hon. Minister of Aviation
f. Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services
g. Hon. Minister of Education
h. Hon. Minister of Information and Culture
i. Hon. Minister of Environment
j. Director-General, State Services
k. Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
l. WHO Country Representative