Hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, research centres get CBN’s N26.28bn healthcare intervention

Twenty firms in the healthcare sector which include hospitals, research centres and pharmaceutical companies, have recieved a total of N20.28 billion out of the N100 billion Central Bank of Nigeria credit support intervention for the healthcare industry. This is In furtherance of the CBN’s development role in the economy especially in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, who disclosed this while inaugurating of the board of experts of the “Healthcare sector Research and development intervention scheme” in Abuja on Monday, said the CBN had received over 27 proposals from researchers requesting for N67bn grant.

He said, “Currently, 20 projects valued at N26.28bn have been funded under the N100bn credit support intervention for the healthcare industry.

“Some of the firms that have been able to obtain funding include hospitals, research centres and pharmaceutical industries.”

Philip Yusuf, the CBN director (Development Finance), said that the apex bank had received over 27 proposals from researchers requesting for N67bn grants.

He said the grant was to enable them to develop vaccines, advanced drugs and manufacturing of different types of products that would enable Nigeria to solve different kinds of healthcare challenges.

Boss Mustapha, The secretary to the government of the federation and chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said the intervention by the CBN would set the country on the part of recovering the healthcare system in Nigeria.