Budget 2020: N66.801bn capital rolled over for 27 MDAs
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By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
The Federal Government has rolled over the sum of N66.801 billion of unspent 2020 capital budget of 27 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to March 31, 2021.
This is contained in a circular from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, referenced FD/OAGF/ADC/2020?250/1/DF and dated January 26, 2021.
According the circular signed by the Director of Funds, Mr. Sabo Mohammed, on behalf of the Accountant-General of the Federation, affected MDAs can continue to spend 2020 capital votes until March 31, 2021, in accordance with the decision of the federal to run both 2020 and 2021 budgets concurrently, until the first quarter ends.
COVID-19: Inadequate fund affects local vaccine research, says NIPRD
Friday Olokor, Abuja
Nigeria has not been progressing rapidly in the local research effort towards developing vaccines to fight COVID-19 because of poor funding, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development said on Monday.
While warning the Federal Government to exercise caution and weigh all options before purchasing any of the vaccines for fighting coronavirus, the organisation raised fears that medicine security threat level in Nigeria was still very high, adding that prioritisation of local products and funding for research would help conquer the threat.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPRD, Dr Obi Adigwe, who stated these during a press conference in Abuja, lamented that lack of adequate funding was robbing the agency of opportunity to showcase the potentials and capacity of its professionals.
As the year 2020 gradually comes to an end,
Onyebuchi Ezigbo captures some of the key events that shaped this highly eventful and turbulent year, especially in the health sector
The year, 2020 will no doubt go down in world history as one of the most remarkable in recent times. It is a year that challenged every of mankind’s ingenuinety and technological prowers. It is a year that the whole world was literally brought to its kneels by a novel virus named COVID-19, which has remained incurable at least for now.
It took everyone by storm, not even the world powers saw it coming nor were they prepared for it. From Wuhan, the commercial city of China, the virus struck the world from one end to the other, spreading fear, agony and lamentation among families of victims. The reality of the virus and its fearsome impact came to Nigeria on February 26 when a young Italian on a business trip to Abeokuta, in Ogun State, landed with the disease in Lagos.