Ebola: N200m donation to Lagos separate from N1.9bn released by FG

The N200 million released to the Lagos State Government for the treatment and containment of the Ebola Virus Disease on Wednesday, was not part of the N1.9 billion voted for that cause by the Federal Government.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated this on Thursday in a statement by his media aide. Dan Nwomeh.
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Rather, the N200 million was a direct funding by the Federal Government for the control of the EVD in Lagos.

According to the statment, among those who have donated to the fund for the containment of the EVD are the Aliko Dangote Foundation, N152 million, which will be to sponsor the Ebola Emergency Operation Centre in Lagos; ANAP Foundation, founded by Atedo Peterside, which will be supporting affecting private hospitals to the tune of N100,000 per bed space, with the First Consultant Hospital in Lagos, where the index case was managed, to the be the first beneficiary and that the hospital would receive N4 million since its bed capacity is 40; the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which has pledged a donation of N50 million to support the Federal Government’s containment efforts; and Shell Petroleum Development Company, which donated an ambulance to the Ebola Emergency Operation Centre in Lagos.

Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola says the state has received the N200 million donated by the Federal Government to fight the outbreak of Ebola in Lagos.


The governor disclosed on Monday at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria when MTN Nigeria Limited donated Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, to the government to be worn by those attending to Ebola patients at the Isolation Centre.

Fashola said the government received the money last Wednesday from the Federal Government and that the money would be used for the purpose it was meant for.

Commending MTN for the gesture, the governor reiterated the state did not need donations at this time as it had what is needed to fight the EVD, but noted that the challenge being faced in the management of Ebola was shortage of virologists.

“The health team accepts this gesture and wish to reiterate that whilst we understand and fully appreciate humanitarian concern that propels these things, the real problem is the sufficiency of experienced Virologists, that is Ebola specialist needed in managing this Ebola issue. That, really is the problem, it is not always a money problem. It isn’t really an equipment problem, it is human capacity problem.

“Like I said before we do not need to panic, Ebola virus is not automatic death sentence. A lot of knowledge is being gained on daily basis even at this moment about the behaviour of the virus and that knowledge helps the scientist to prepare even better to respond.