FG Plans To End COVID-19 December 31st, Says PSC

By Uche Mbah

A National Summit to end the COVID-19 pandemic by December 2022 is being organized by the Federal Government.

The Summit, which aims at ending the pandemic by December 31st this year, is slated to take place December 6-8, 2021.

Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, National Incident Manager, Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) On COVID-19, said this Monday in Abuja at the bi-weekly national briefing on COVID-19.

The Summit, will come up with “recommendations for building back the country’s health system”.

Muhammed said the theme of the Summit is Pushing through the Last Mile to End the Pandemic and Build Back Better, and will provide the framework for COVID-19 response so far.

“This crucial Summit will provide a forum for presentations and brainstorming on the following: To review the country’s COVID-19 response from February 2020 to November 2021; to identify successes, gaps, and lessons learnt; to identify resources and develop strategies that will actualize the country’s expressed international commitments towards ending COVID-19 by December 31, 2022,” he said.

“Others are to develop an accountability framework for COVID-19 response and health security in Nigeria, and to synthesise the blueprint for Nigeria’s pandemic recovery, reconstruction, health security, and sustainability.

“[The Summit will also] articulate actionable recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari on the governance structure, resources, and policies needed to end COVID-19 in Nigeria by December 31, 2022, and build back the health system and the economy to better respond to future health-security threats.

“The Summit will go a long way to demonstrating Nigeria’s readiness to action its international commitments, which will bolster the confidence and support of our international development partners in concerted efforts to ambitiously end the COVID-19 pandemic by December 31, 2022.

“Moreover, it will set the tone to strengthen our health system and bio-security architecture to be able to effectively respond to present and future global health security threats.”