Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) has warned Nigerians to becareful as horrible
elements have started selling COVID-19 diagnostic test kits in “black markets”.
TheCable reported that Ihekweazu gave the warning because black
markets are non-regulated platforms or economies where a series of
transactions take place with little respect for established rules.
Speaking at the presidential task force briefing on Thursday, Ihekweazu warned those who are desperate for test to be careful.
He also called for caution as industries gear up to reopen for
businesses. The NCDC DG said there is currently a lot of pressure as
companies seek to test their employees before they resume work.
Ihekweazu warned Nigerians to be cautious while purchasing diagnostic test kits.
“It is important that as we open our industries, we really
think about the measures that we advise everyone to carry out and leave
testing for the purpose for which it is there,” he said.
“There is a growing black market on rapid diagnostics test kits
in Nigeria, we have to be careful in what we buy, how we use it and how
we interpret the results that they provide.”
He also disclosed that the Nigeria private-sector coalition against
COVID-19 (CACOVID) donated N47 million to support sample transportation
to boost testing.
“Yesterday, CACOVID finally put in N47 million into sample
transportation, so the private sector is coming on as well. CACOVID is a
collection of corporate Nigerians and they put in funding going
directly into the private courier firm that is supporting sample
transportation across the country. So everybody is coming together to
make things work,” he said.
Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, disclosed that Nigeria has conducted 49,966 COVID-19 tests so far.
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