Fed Govt, Japan Sign $18.2m Pact On Disease Control

The Federal Government and the government of Japan have signed an $18.2m grant agreement to strengthen the capacity of network laboratories of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The move,according to a statement from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning is to ensure accurate medical and laboratory investigations.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, who signed on behalf of Nigeria, commended the Japanese government for fulfilling the promise made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Nigeria in Tokyo, last year.

Agba described the signing of the grant agreement as timely, against the backdrop of the recent outbreak of coronavirus that has become a global concern.

The minister said that the initiative would help complement the efforts and commitment of the government in the fight against infectious diseases.

He reassured the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Yutaka Kikuta, who signed on behalf of the Japanese Government, of Nigeria’s commitment to creating an enabling environment to sustain the relationship between Nigeria and Japan.

Kikuta said that the grant agreement was to support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to strengthen its surveillance of infectious diseases and improve its capacity for early responses to public health concerns in Nigeria.