The Federal Government of Nigeria said it was yet to receive the ventilators promised by the US President Donald Trump to help fight coronavirus.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed assured Nigerians that once the government receives the promised equipment, it will be made public.
He said this Thursday while responding to a question on the issue during the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 daily briefing.
The minister had earlier spoken about the efforts of the ministry to increase sensitization of the populace on the effect of the pandemic which has devastated the entire globe.
Already close to 6 million people have been infected with over 350,000 fatalities across 251 countries including Nigeria who h has recorded 254 deaths in close 9,000 cases.
The U.S President had on 28th April, 2020 promised to send some ventilators to the country during his telephone conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari.
But a month down the lane, the Minister of Information and Culture said the lifesaving equipment was yet to be received by Nigeria.
He said, “To when the ventilators promised by President Trump will arrive. To the best of my knowledge, they have not arrived. When they do arrive it will be made known to the public.”
In his quick rundown of the activities of the ministry in sensitizing the populace on the best ways to contain the spread of the virus, the Minister said jingles have been produced for both the radio and television in various languages.
He said the social media was also included in aggressive campaign.
He said adverts were also placed on six national dailies covering the six geopolitical zones of the country.
He said, “The Ministry so far produced video and radio jingles in the following areas: General information of COVID-19 use of face masks; burial protocol; testimonials by COVID-19 survivors and mass gathering.”
He also said all the jingles in English have been translated and produced in Pidgin; Igbo; Hausa; Yoruba.
So far, he said “The Ministry has developed 25 TV jingles and 25 Radio Jingles. The jingles produced by the Ministry are currently running on 10 television Channels: TVC in between the programme ‘Your View’ between 9am and 10:30am; inside the 7pm news; AIT before the 8pm news; OnTV – Prime time Nollywood movies; Telenovella; Correct Movies; ZEEWORLD (DSTV); Nigbati – StarTimes; Isimbido- StarTimes; Dadin Kowa – StarTimes and StarTimes Guide; Liberty TV – both Hausa and English channels.”
He also added that “The jingles are also running on 40 radio stations across the country with states like Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja having more than one radio station airing the jingles. In addition, we also have support from 40 community and campus radio stations across the country awaiting our jingles.”
Apart from all the above mentioned, he said the ministry have also provided airing for the NCDC and its partners to broadcast the jingles they produced on messaging for the physically challenged (deaf and dumb) and the use of Face Mask on all the channels.
He added, “Similarly, radio jingles on various thematic areas in the fight against COVID-19 produced by the NCDC and its partners in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Kanuri, Fulani, Nupe, Gbagyi, TIV, Ibibio, Igala are being aired on radio stations in the states where the languages are spoken.
“We also broadcast various creatives developed by the PTF on the Ramadan and the observance of the EID, lock down protocol, asymptomatic COVID patients on radio stations and the Social Media handles of the ministry.
“The revised Ease of Lock down Protocol by the PTF was published by the ministry in six national dailies across the geopolitical zones: The Sun; The Nation; People’s Daily; Tribune; Leadership and Vanguard
“Our aggressive and sustained campaign on the Social Media has gained traction. In the last five days alone, some of the videos we posted have been viewed over 1,068,614 times.”
