COVID-19: Two Nigerian techies fix ventilators F.O.C. @JUTH – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

… Atiku applauds them

Two Nigerians have fixed some ventilators at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Free-Of-Charge (FOC) as their own contributions to the ongoing battle to curb ChineseVirus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19 in the country, reports ITREALMS.

The duo of Gyang William and Nura Jibrin, ITREALMS gathered from an eye witness, Femi Johnson, they had quietly walked into JUTH and requested to fixed all their broken down ventilators at “NO COST” as part of their contribution to fight Covid-19.

This is coming as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has commended them and threw his weight behind homegrown efforts to win #COVID-19.

Confirming this, the registrar of JUTH, Dr. Daniel Meshak, was quoted as saying that the cost of one ventilator ranges between $30,000 to $50,000 (about N12 million to N18 million).

The above figure, he noted would be “before you add tax, custom duty, freight, etc. That will make us appreciate their contribution.”

Dr. Meshak also revealed that the duo of Gyang and Nura, have so far fixed two that were considered scrap thereby bringing the total number of ventilators in JUTH to 6.
“In many cases, persons infected by coronavirus require ventilator to survive and its a critical tool in the fight against this disease,” he declared.

Meanwhile, the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has commended the efforts of the duo.

He said, “I commend these moves aimed at seeking homegrown solutions to the #COVID19 pandemic in Nigeria. Also commendable are the efforts of Gyang William and Nura Jibrin, who at their discretion and no cost, fixed faulty ventilators at Jos University Teaching Hospital, in Plateau State.”

Atiku in a recent Tweet, reiterated his support for a homegrown solution and efforts to battle COVID-19.

Nenye Dom/Editor with additional reports by Femi Johnson.

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COVID-19 v 5G: Nigeria used 3.5Ghz and 26 GHz for 5G trials - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Garba Danbatta has cleared the air over the spectrum used in the trial by a mobile operator for the fifth generation (5G) network, reports ITREALMS.

He made this disclosure while on ChannelsTv from its Kano Studio and monitored in Lagos by ITREALMS.

"3.5Ghz and 26 GHz was used for the trial of 5G," Danbatta declared.

He also said that there is no bases to association the current death rate of victims of Chinese Virus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19, calling for caution.

READ ALSO: ChineseVirus-19: NCC says no correlation between 5...

He also explained that the alleged radiation expected from 5G installations are Non-Ionizing and does not pose any health questions.

"It is a non-Ionizing radiation" Danbatta maintained, debunking it has any known health implication.

ITREALMS gathered that experts have been worried over the frequency used for the 5G trial last November following revelations from Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami and NCC that no 5G license has been issued.

Related stories:

• COVID-19: ALTON dispels rumours, says laying of fi...

• Claims 5G causes Coronavirus is baseless, untrue s...
• Chuks Egbune/DoP

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AfDB appoints Nafissatou N'diaye Diouf, acting Director, Communications & External Relations - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has named Mrs. Nafissatou N’diaye Diouf as the Acting Director for Communications and External Relations Department (in the bank, reports ITREALMS.

Nafissatou, a Senegalese national, is currently a Division Manager in the Communications and External Relations Department of the African Development Bank Group

Her latest appointment, ITREALMS gathered takes effect from April 1, 2020.

Nafissatou, a Senegalese national, is currently a Division Manager in the Communications and External Relations Department of the African Development Bank Group. A dedicated and results driven communications professional, Nafissatou brings over twenty (20) years of experience to the role, with a comprehensive background in corporate communications, public relations, journalism, digital and media Development.

Since her appointment as Division Manager in 2018, Nafissatou has fostered agile communication strategies, consistently reflecting cohesion with the Bank’s vision. She has built and led a world-class team of editors, writers, digital and media specialists, resulting in exponential increase in coverage and awareness around the Bank’s strategic objectives and projects.

Prior, Nafissatou had served as a communications consultant with the Bank’s Private Sector and Infrastructure Complex and Trade Department from 2016 to 2018, during which she engaged with Regional Integration and Trade Department Senior Management, streamlining communication and public relations strategies across a variety of platforms.

Before joining the Bank, Nafissatou, the founder and Managing Director of 54 Communications company, in Dakar, Senegal from 2011 to 2017 provided leadership for the cross-functional development and delivery of compelling public relations, branding, communication and event management strategies for a broad spectrum of public and private entities.

Nafissatou also worked as Public Relations Director for Francophone Africa ZK Advertising, Johannesburg, South Africa during which she demonstrated a keen aptitude for cross-cultural leadership, managing teams of public relations professionals, account managers and country representatives across seven African countries, including Gabon, Niger, Chad, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. With a creative and collaborative approach to project management within challenging markets, Nafissatou excels in strategic storytelling, content development, capacity building and mentoring.

Prior to her transition into corporate communication, Nafissatou worked as a journalist with the Associated Press (AP), covering international conflicts and crises west and central Africa including Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Mauritania, and the Central African Republic. Many of her breaking news stories were featured in global newspapers such as the Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe and the LA Times. Nafissatou also worked as an Open-Source Officer for the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), a division of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology.

A native French speaker, Nafissatou holds a Master of Arts degree in Interpreting and Translation from Salford University in the United Kingdom (UK), a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Applied Language Studies from Thames Valley University and a Diploma in Journalism and Newswriting from the London School of Journalism.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank said: “Nafissatou is a respected professional in the Communications and External Relations industry. I look to Nafissatou to steer the Department at this critical moment as the Bank responds to the rapidly changing situation of COVID-19 and to continue the excellent work done to date in the Department.”

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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ALTON aligns with Pantami on 5G - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has aligned with the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (MoCDE), Dr. Ali Isa Ibrahim Pantami that Nigeria is yet to license any fifth Generation network, reports ITREALMS.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as the regulator of telecommunications in the country, ALTON said, has not licensed any operator till date.

ALTON through its chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, also told ITREALMS that in setting the records straight, its important to note that telecommunication standards are prescribed for use by the relevant international Regulatory Agencies after thorough and comprehensive tests have been carried out to ensure particularly that all approved standards are safe for the Human environment and health.

“Note therefore that all Spectrum and frequencies used today by the mobile and satellite industries, have been extensively researched and are covered by the international safety guidelines,” he said.

ALTON pointed out that there is no iota of truth that 5G Technology is the cause of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The virus is also spreading in places without 5G networks like Nigeria. There are many parts of the world that do not have 5G coverage yet but are still affected by the virus e.g Parts of United Kingdom, Iran, Russia has no 5G for commercial use (except for some of their military deployments) etc,” he said.

Noting that in all the generations of wireless network technology (5G,4G,3G,2G & 1G) mobile data is transmitted over radio waves.

“Other types of technology that use radio waves include smart meters, TV and radio transmitters, and radar and satellite communications. Most modern medical laboratory equipment use radio waves, some use nuclear radiation, but they are used within the guidelines. We dare say that every medication has recommended dosage. Even too much food and drinks can become injurious to health. This is basically the same principle on which radio waves operate. There are acceptable safe limits, which are determined, specified, regulated and supervised by International Technology Regulatory bodies as stated above,” Adebayo said.

Emphasising that Nigeria progressed from 1G to the current 4G which most networks offer to their subscribers today.

“Even with all the virtues of the novel 5G, our BTS Sites across the country are still bereft of this technology. We will want to re-emphasize that several studies have been carried out even before the 5G emergence, indicating that the microwave emissions from these infrastructures have no harmful effect on human health.

“Research into the safety of radio signals, which has been conducted for more than 50 years, has led to the establishment of human exposure standards including safety factors that protect against all established health risks.

“The Electro Magnetic Fields on masts and towers are so insignificant when compared to microwave cooker at home, our television set and computers we use most of the time,” he said.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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COVID-19: Stop Chinese doctors now, leverage technology insists NMA - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Following disclosure that the Federal Government (FG) has invited some Chinese doctors to help in battling the pandemic of Coronavirus or Covid-19, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has advised the invitation be stopped so as to leverage technologies, reports ITREALMS.

“We fail to see how the 18-man team would impact the current efforts in any significant way,” NMA declared in a press statement available to ITREALMS.

According to NMA president, Dr. Francis A. Fadnyile, its imperative to leverage technologies, given that recently Director-General of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr. Chikwe Ihekweaza was in China and may withdraw services if FG insists on the 18-man Chinese invitation.

NMA, he said, is not averse to donations of equipment and supplies because “we can always do with such support as even in the developed countries receive support too.

NMA described with great dismay and utter disappointment, the invitation to Chinese doctors and is embarrassment to member of medical practitioners who are giving their best in the fight against Chinese Virus-19 also known as Coronavirus (COVID-19).

They noted that lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), saying its grossly inadequate test kits and test centres across the country as well as absolute lack of any form of insurance for the workforce are primordial issues begging for attention at this time.

NMA insisted in its rejection of the invitation of the Chinese doctors, urging the Federal Government to review and approve better welfare incentives to the frontline medical personnel instead.

The provision of adequate personal protective equipment, opening and properly equipping more isolation centres and health facilities across the country is an excellent first step. Deploying more resources to facilitate testing as Nigerians are beginning to witness community transmission of COVID-19 is equally a better application of scarce resources.

The Government should declare a state of emergency in the health sector and use the opportunity to fix our health institutions as a matter of urgency 'in a bid to stem the rot.’

The NMA urged the Government to expand the Presidential Task Force to include other critical stakeholders including journalists and the civil society to ensure more robust engagemer.t especially as the decisions of the task force has implications for the health, wealth and security of entire country.

“It is a great disservice to the morale of the long-suffering frontline health workforce if the Government goes ahead to invite these Chinese doctors. The invitation demeans their sacrifices so far in this pandemic. We fail to see how the 18-man team would impact the current efforts in any significant way.

NMA, however, expects that the Government would rescind the decision in the overall interest of the country, and would loathe reviewing her participation in the fight against COVID-19 considering the grave implications and the risk to the lives of her members should the Government go ahead with this ill-thought-out invitation at this time.

The Association remains committed to the Nigerian people and the Government. We support the efforts of our frontline health workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and we expect reciprocate trust from the Government.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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COVID-19: James beckons Lagos, others to partner Rotary on palliative distribution - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The President, Rotary Club of Ikeja South, Rotarian Michael Effiong James, has called on the Lagos State Government and corporate organisations for partnership in deploying all palliatives in cash and kind over the ChineseVirus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19 lockdown, reports ITREALMS.

This call, he said has become imperative following spates of protests and anger over the poor and inequitable distribution of palliatives by government officials and others.

James noted that about 80 per cent of the over 100 clubs in District 9110 are located in Lagos State and they can mobilise their extensive network and know-how to help the government fight this pandemic as well as touch people's lives.

According to the Rotarian, who is also a journalist and the Editor, Ovation International Magazine: “I was in tears as I watched the good intention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to provide succour to Lagosians in form of palliatives being rubbished by poor execution, and it occurred to me that Rotary can actually help to right this wrong.

“Rotary is an organisation of professionals, who, as volunteers, are committed to the service of humanity, and, therefore, would be able to use their knowledge of needs assessment, project siting, project monitoring and closeness to the communities to good effect.

“In addition, its time-tested record of probity as a result of the application of the 4-Way test has made Rotary an organisation that is trusted worldwide, which is reason it holds the highest consultative status at the United Nation's Economic and Social Council, which oversees many UN agencies.

“In Rotary, we have a wide range of professionals, from medical doctors to nurses, lawyers to engineers, these are not greedy or hungry people, but Nigerians who are genuinely passionate about putting smiles on people’s faces, so this is a situation that they are best equipped to handle.

“They also have partnered with governments and individuals successfully in the past and see no reason that Governor Sanwo-Olu and Rotary International District 9110 Governor, Rotarian (Dr.) Jide Akeredolu cannot join forces.

“That is not all.

“Due to Rotary's experience with Polio eradication, its huge data bank of facts and figures may actually help the Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Centre For Disease Control in the area of contact tracing and enlightenment.”

Rotarian James also used the opportunity to call on residents of Lagos and Nigerians in general to adhere to the instruction of hand washing for at least 20 seconds, social distancing, cleaning of hard surfaces around their homes and most importantly staying at home.

He said these measures, difficult as they may seem, will help to flatten the curve, stop the spread of the virus, save more lives and enable us return to our normal day-to-day activities in good time.

He revealed that Rotary International has encouraged clubs to intervene in the fight against COVID-19 and while some have already done theirs, Rotary Club of Ikeja of South and others, are fine-tuning plans to embark on impactful intervention projects as contribution to the global effort.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Africa’s Business Heroes prize opens calls for application - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Jack Ma Foundation has officially launched the second edition of the “Africa’s Business Heroes” (ABH) prize competition with applications now open to African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, as well as every sector, age group, and gender. Applications will also now be available in both French and English, reports ITREALMS.

The ABH prize competition and show is organized by the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI), the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program in Africa. ABH made its debut last year, and aims to identify, support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their local communities, working to solve the most pressing problems, and building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future.

Every year, ten finalists will be selected to compete in a finale pitch competition show that will be broadcast online and across the continent. At this year’s grand finale, all ten finalists will share a prize pool of US$1.5 million, up from $1 million last year, as well as gain access to the ANPI community of business leaders to leverage the community’s shared expertise, best practice, training and resources.

Last year, the prize received nearly 10,000 applications from 50 African countries. The 2019 top ten finalists pitched their business ideas to a prominent judging panel during a televised grand-finale show in Accra, Ghana. The finalists represented a variety of industries – including cloud kitchens, tech agribusiness, healthcare and pharma, e-commerce, consumer goods, and water supply solutions.

“It was an incredible honor to be named Africa’s Business Hero last year. The Prize enabled me to expand to multiple states in Nigeria and become a truly pan-Nigerian business, and I was truly inspired by my experience and by all my fellow winners. I am looking forward to serving as an Ambassador for this year’s prize and to seeing the next group of entrepreneurs come forward to showcase the best of Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit and strength,” said Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder and CEO, LifeBank.

“We find ourselves in unprecedented and extraordinary times. Now, more than ever, we need entrepreneurs with courage, initiative, and vision to do what they do best – solve problems for society. With this prize competition, we are looking to inspire and reward African business heroes in all sectors and encourage any aspiring applicants to seize this opportunity to break through barriers and create hope for the future,” said Jason Pau, Senior Advisor for International Programs, Jack Ma Foundation.

Global leaders Graca Machel, Chair of the Graca Machel Trust Board and Ban Ki-moon, Former UN Secretary- General and Co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens serve on the ANPI advisory board. Over a ten-year period, the ANPI will recognize 100 African entrepreneurs and commit to allocating US$100 million in grant funding, training programs, and support for the broad African entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This year, ANPI will work with a select group of Anchor Partners, including Ashesi, Dalberg, Janngo and RiseUp to identify and support African entrepreneurs. ANPI will also partner with Pulse.Africa to highlight stories of African entrepreneur heroes. More partners will be announced in due course. In addition, Anita Erskine, UN SDG Advocate and Founder of the STEM Woman Project, joins ANPI to serve as the official host of “Africa’s Business Heroes” program and Brand Ambassador. Her advocacy for social good reflects the boldness, creativity and strength that the Prize will be looking for in their entrepreneur heroes.

Applications will be open online from April 6th to June 9th 2020 with semi-finalists announced in August, and the top ten finalists for 2020 unveiled in September To apply and for more information about ANPI, africabusinessheroes.org and follow @africa_heroes on Twitter.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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COVID-19: Why NMA, NUJ rejected FG’s invitation to Chinese doctors - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have adduced reasons why they rejected in totality the invitation of Chinese doctors by the Federal Government (FG) in the bid to curb ChineseVirus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19, reports ITREALMS.

NMA said its vehemently rejecting the invitation to Chinese Doctors into the country at this time in the case of COVID-19-related assistance in whatever colour which is suspicious.

“We are therefore profoundly dismayed to learn that the Federal Government ls instead is inviting the Chinese who from available accounts are not out of the woods themselves,” NMA president, Dr. Francis A. Fadnyile, said in a press statement available to ITREALMS.

The Association also noted with grate concern that the Government did not take into consideration the extant laws regulating the practice of medicine in Nigeria as enshrined in the Medical and Dental Council Act.

“This is one such circumstance were the Medica1 and Dental Council of Nigerian should be consulted to grant necessary approvals to foreigners to interact with Nigerian patients,” NMA insisted.

In a related development, the leadership of NUJ in a press statement endorsed by the National President, Chief Chris Isiguzo and Secretary General, Shuaibu Usman Leman, said the National Secretariat is alarmed by the decision of the Federal Government to bring Chinese Medical doctors to Nigeria to fight Covid 19, despite the fact that Nigerian doctors are doing exceptionally well in fighting the outbreak.

“We caution that it will be counterproductive to bring in Chinese doctors,” NUJ officials warned.

They pointed out while some have applauded the way and manner China contained the virus in Wuhan- the only Chinese city to be so affected, we hasten to note that there is more to this charade than is being let out by the Chinese authorities, and we reject a situation where Nigeria will be used as a Guinea pig for any experiment.

“It is pertinent to plead with the Federal Government to stop this Medical team from coming to Nigeria because of the Italian example where there was an inexplicable spike in Covid 19 related deaths when the Chinese doctors arrived the country,” they said.

The FG, NUJ leadership urged to be more proactive in dealing with emerging issues because any mistake made will be catastrophic.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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What makes a good website? - ITREALMS

Sponsored@ITREALMS: 

When you are designing a website, there is often a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it. No matter whether the website is for a personal project or a professional matter, you need to make sure that it is up to a certain standard. Let’s take a closer look at what precisely makes a good website.

Good Design

Every good website has a great design. Web pages that use an older design or font instantly look outdated compared to the others. You need to ensure that you are always using a design that feels modern and fresh so visitors will want to stick around and see what you have to offer.

Good design is also informative. Any text on the website needs to be clear and easy to read. Take a look at a site like the NetBet online casino. You can easily find and read the information they have on offer here.

Safe and Secure

Security should be a No.1 priority for you as a website owner, especially if you are going to be building ecommerce into your site. If you are not, you still need to make sure you include the right checks. However, you also need to ensure that you are still placing stringent protections in place.

Mobile Compatible

It is thought that approximately three quarters of the world will access the internet exclusively via a smartphone by 2025. Mobile traffic is huge and you need to make sure that your site is optimised for these users.

A key indicator is often in the buttons. Optimised buttons will be slightly larger as they tend to be pushed with a finger and not a precise clicker like a mouse. Optimised websites will also snap and resize to the screen of the device they are viewed on.

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Pix: Pixabay

ChineseVirus-19: Yes to social distancing, No to fiscal distancing - ITREALMS

Opinion@ITREALMS: 

The African Development Bank estimates that Covid-19 could cost Africa a GDP loss between $22.1 billion and $88.3 billion in the worst case scenario.

These are very difficult days, as the world faces one of its worst challenges ever: the novel coronavirus pandemic. And it seems almost no nation is spared. As infection rates rise, so does panic across financial markets, as economies drastically slow down and supply chains are severely disrupted. 

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As such, it can no longer be business as usual. 

Each day, the situation evolves and requires constant reviews of precautionary measures and strategies. In the midst of all this, we must all worry about the ability of every nation to respond to this crisis. And we must ensure that developing nations are prepared to navigate these uncharted waters fully. 

That's why I support the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' urgent call for special resources for the world's developing countries. 

In the face of this pandemic, we must put lives above resources and health above debt. Why? Because developing economies are the most vulnerable at this time. Our remedies must go beyond simply lending more. We must go the extra mile and provide countries with much-needed and urgent financial relief -- and that includes developing countries under sanctions. 

According to the independent, global think tank ODI in its report on the impact of economic sanctions, for decades, sanctions have decimated investments in public health care systems in quite a number of countries.

Today, the already stretched systems as noted in the 2019 Global Health Security Index will find it difficult to face up to a clear and present danger that now threatens our collective existence.

Only those that are alive can pay back debts.  

Sanctions work against economies but not against the virus. If countries that are under sanctions are unable to respond and provide critical care for their citizens or protect them, then the virus will soon "sanction" the world.

In my Yoruba language, there is a saying. "Be careful when you throw stones in the open market. It may hit a member of your family."  

That's why I also strongly support the call by the UN Secretary-General that debts of low-income countries be suspended in these fast-moving and uncertain times. 

But I call for even bolder actions, and there are several reasons for doing so. 

First, the economies of developing countries, despite years of great progress, remain extremely fragile and ill equipped to deal with this pandemic. They are more likely to be buried with the heavy fiscal pressure they now face with the coronavirus. 

Second, many of the countries in Africa depend on commodities for export earnings. The collapse of oil prices has thrown African economies into distress. According the AFDB's 2020 Africa Economic Outlook, they simply are not able to meet budgets as planned under pre-coronavirus oil price benchmarks.

The impact has been immediate in the oil and gas sector, as noted in a recent CNN news analysis.

In the current environment, we can anticipate an acute shortage of buyers who, for understandable reasons, will reallocate resources to addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. African countries that depend on tourism receipts as a key source of revenue are also in a straightjacket. 

Third, while rich countries have resources to spare, evidenced by trillions of dollars in fiscal stimulus, developing countries are hampered with bare-bones resources. 

The fact is, if we do not collectively defeat the coronavirus in Africa, we will not defeat it anywhere else in the world. This is an existential challenge that requires all hands to be on deck. Today, more than ever, we must be our brothers and sisters' keepers.  

Around the world, countries at more advanced stages in the outbreak are announcing liquidity relief, debt restructuring, forbearance on loan repayments, relaxation of standard regulations and initiatives.

In the United States, packages of more than $2 trillion have already been announced, in addition to a reduction in Federal Reserve lending rates and liquidity support to keep markets operating. In Europe, the larger economies have announced stimulus measures in excess of 1 trillion Euros. Additionally, even larger packages are expected. 

As developed countries put in place programs to compensate workers for lost wages for staying at home for social distancing, another problem has emerged -- fiscal distancing.

Think for a moment what this means for Africa. 

The African Development Bank estimates that Covid-19 could cost Africa a GDP loss between $22.1 billion, in the base case scenario, and $88.3 billion in the worst case scenario. This is equivalent to a projected GDP growth contraction of between 0.7 and 2.8 percentage points in 2020. It is even likely that Africa might fall into recession this year if the current situation persists.

The Covid-19 shock will further squeeze fiscal space in the continent as deficits are estimated to widen by 3.5 to 4.9 percentage points, increasing Africa's financing gap by an additional $110 to $154 billion in 2020. 

Our estimates indicate that Africa's total public debt could increase, under the base case scenario, from $1.86 trillion at the end of 2019 to over $2 trillion in 2020, compared to $1.9 trillion projected in a 'no pandemic' scenario. According to a March 2020 Bank report, these figures could reach $2.1 trillion in 2020 under the worst case scenario.

This, therefore, is a time for bold actions. We should temporarily defer the debt owed to multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. This can be done by re-profiling loans to create fiscal space for countries to deal with this crisis.  

That means that loan principals due to international financial institutions in 2020 could be deferred. I am calling for temporary forbearance, not forgiveness. What's good for bilateral and commercial debt must be good for multilateral debt.

That way, we will avoid moral hazards, and rating agencies will be less inclined to penalize any institution on the potential risk to their Preferred Creditor Status.  The focus of the world should now be on helping everyone, as a risk to one is a risk to all.

There is no coronavirus for developed countries and a coronavirus for developing and debt-stressed countries. We are all in this together.  

Multilateral and bilateral financial institutions must work together with commercial creditors in Africa, especially to defer loan payments and give Africa the fiscal space it needs.

We stand ready to support Africa in the short term and for the long haul. We are ready to deploy up to $50 billion over five years in projects to help with adjustment costs that Africa will face as it deals with the knock-on effects of Covid-19, long after the current storm subsides. 

But more support will be needed. Let's lift all sanctions, for now. Even in wartime, ceasefires are called for humanitarian reasons. In such situations, there is a time to pause for relief materials to reach affected populations. The novel coronavirus is a war against all of us. All lives matter.

For this reason, we must avoid fiscal distancing at this time. A stitch in time will save nine.  

Social distancing is imperative now. Fiscal distancing is not. 

*Contributed by Akinwumi A. Adesina is President of the African Development Bank Group


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