Coronavirus: Nigeria to begin production of ventilators

By Miriam Humbe

The federal government has said that it is engaging with indigenous car manufacturers to sharply adjust their operations to begin the manufacture of ‘Made in Nigeria’ ventilators, a critical medical equipment in the fight against the coronavirus.
Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, (FMITI), Otunba Richard Adeniyi revealed this on Monday in Abuja at a press briefing on Covid-19 pandemic to curtail its negative impact on the manufacturing, trade and related sectors of the economy.
Adebayo said: “Mr. President has directed our Ministry to work with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); the Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Nigerian Traders Association (NANTS); and other affiliated stakeholders to guarantee that the production of essential items like food, medical and pharmaceutical products continues unhindered.
“We are working with the Standards Organization of Nigeria, (SON) and the
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure the acceleration of the issuance of Certificates of Standards of essential items, without sacrificing the quality of these items. Such items include hand sanitizers; overalls for our medical workers; face masks; needles; goggles; gloves; Sodium Hypo Chloride; and Digital Thermometers.
“With the support of the NCDC, we have also embarked on the training of emergency COVID-19 volunteers – who now have the requisite skills to handle emergencies in the workplace”.
The Minister appreciated the partnership of the media saying: “Since this crisis began, journalists across the nation have served as partners in the process of meeting our objectives. I thank you all for your commitment and patriotism”.
He assured that he will continue to update the general public on new developments including fresh initiatives taken by the Ministry as they develop.