HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES QUERIES MINISTRY OF HEALTH OVER $100 MILLION LOAN AGREEMENT 23-05-24
By Sadiq Aminu The house of Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has queried the Ministry of Health on the disengagement of a local contractor in a $100 million loan agreement between Nigeria and the Islamic Development Bank meant to address the challenge of malaria in the country.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Amobi Ogah in a stakeholders meeting expressed displeasure that succour that was expected through the loan intervention was yet to materialise even after signing the agreement in 2022.
Mr. Amobi said the meeting was to resolve the logjam that seemed to have crippled the implementation of the Islamic Bank Loan to support malaria elimination in Nigeria under the Lives and Livelihood Project.
In his ruling at the meeting, Mr. Amobi directed that Minister of Health, Professor Ali Muhammad Pate, who was in attendance to provide a comprehensive report of the transactions pertaining to the agreement to the committee within two weeks.
He said the project aims to reduce under-five mortality in Nigeria from 132 to 79 per 1,000 births by 2030.
Professor Pate, said the agreement was reversed because there were issues with the local producer.
He said according to the design of the loan, there was an agreement by the government to utilise a United Nations procurement agent, UNOPS, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed.
The Minister acknowledged that the country still has a malaria challenge and the Islamic Development Loan is a major effort that started four years ago as part of Nigeria’s effort to achieve malaria elimination.