Lagos governor pledges maximum funding for healthcare

The Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Ole, has announced his aims to increase the state’s health budget by the maximum figure of 20%.

Governor Sanwo-Ole said previous governments had failed to provide adequate funding.

He also pledged to ramp up testing in the city, following widespread criticism about a lack of facilities. 

Lagos is at the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak in Nigeria, with 1,183 confirmed cases and 30 deaths. 

On Monday, lockdown restrictions were relaxed in the city, as well as in the capital Abuja and nearby Ogun state. Banks and markets were allowed to re-open for the first time in five weeks.

This was despite the number of positive cases increasing by almost 50%. 

Mr Sanwo-Ole defended the decision to re-open the city, saying: “It’s always easy to say it’s not the right time”. 

He added that the situation was being monitored on a daily basis. 

The governor also admitted that there had been widespread social unrest during the lockdown, as workers who depend on daily wages are hit particularly hard.

Photo: AFP