Keynote Address By
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State
Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum
at
The PLATFORM
organised by
The Covenant Nation
Lagos, Nigeria | Saturday, May 2, 2020
PROTOCOLS AND INTRODUCTION1. I bring you warm greetings from the Nigeria Governors Forum and the good people of Ekiti state. These are very difficult times and I empathise with you on account of the impact the pandemic is having on all our lives. Not only have our economic activities been impacted but also the very essence of our shared humanity – the ability to move freely and interact with each other has given way to social distancing measures, and a very sobering sense of uncertainty of what the future holds. I join my faith with yours that all of this would soon be over by the grace of God.2. Let me start by expressing my gratitude to my brother and friend, Pastor Poju Oyemade, the senior pastor of The Covenant Nation and convener of The Platform, for the opportunity to engage with you today.3. Pastor Poju and his team have consistently pursued a unique apostolic mandate for many years – not only catering to the spiritual needs of the Church, but also advancing the frontiers of nation building and social reformation.4. The impact of the various expressions of this ministry is undeniable, especially The Platform, which has become an effective town hall gathering that facilitates conversations in an unfiltered yet convivial atmosphere, and is now one of Nigeria’s leading avenues for bridging the gap between leaders and the people. 5. Conversations are important. They are the lifeblood of every relationship, and as I have often stated in the past, the widespread cynicism and distrust between government and the people, is usually caused by a lack of robust communication and feedback mechanisms for engagement on important issues affecting the lives and livelihoods of the people.6. I am therefore pleased to be here today with some of my brother governors from other states whoare equally joining us remotely from different parts of the country, as well as some other personalities in government who are playing key roles in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Together we would be sharing information on what government is doing, and hopefully take some feedback from you.
WHAT HAS GOVERNMENT BEEN DOING?
Clarifications on Leadership7. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On March 11, 2020, the outbreak was officially declared a global pandemic, effectively activating a range of protocols for a global pandemic response. Since then, the World Health Organisation has been leading efforts to support countries in preventing, detecting, and responding to the pandemic and monitoring the response. 8. Our relevant government entities are in constant touch with the WHO and their counterparts in other countries, to better understand the novel virus, and to benefit from knowledge sharing on strategies and measures being adopted.9. National – At the national level, President Muhammadu Buhari very quickly into the crisis, set up the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha. 10. I would allow Federal Government representatives to speak more about the key interventions at the federal level, while I talk about the role of state governments in the pandemic response.11. Given the emergency nature of the pandemic, there has been a plethora of diverse stakeholders (United Nations and other multilaterals, bi-laterals, private sector, foundations, philanthropists, among others) also involved in the quest to contain the pandemic.
The Role of State Governments12. State Governments clearly have a central and crucial role in the pandemic response. The federal government has done well to extensively consult with governors on key steps being taken, and I can confidently say that most of the actions by the federal government had considerable input from state governments – singularly and jointly as the Nigeria Governors Forum. In the past six weeks, Governors have held weekly meetings to review the States’ containment strategies with constant feedback to the President, Vice President and the Task Force on COVID-1913. In this context, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum recently agreed to coordinate the state governments’ response to COVID-19 along five general guidelines as follows: ⮚ Lockdown of all Interstate boundaries except for essential movements of food, medical and pharmaceuticals, beverages, petroleum products and agricultural products.⮚ Increases the capacity for testing in States as part of improving the health infrastructure.⮚ Airports and Aviation lockdown.⮚ Relaxation of movement within States based on each state’s assessment of their individual vulnerabilities⮚ Ban on large gatherings including religious, social, educational and political events.⮚ Compulsory wearing of face masks if there is a need to go out.14. These measures became necessary in view of evidence that interstate travel from the main epicentres of the outbreak – Lagos, Abuja and now Kano– have been responsible for the spread of infection to many states, including Ekiti State. At least, 34 of our 36 States have people who have been infected by COVID-19 virus and the prognosis is that no State will eventually escape. A coordinated restriction on interstate travel is thus expected to reduce the spread significantly with a view to quickly bringing the pandemic under control. 15. In addition, every State in the country has developed their respective State Pandemic Response Strategies (Incident Action Plans) and have in place standing State Pandemic Response Task Forces. The strategies at the state level take into consideration the uniqueness of the states including geography, population, culture, religion, e.t.c.16. For us in Ekiti, we inaugurated the Ekiti State COVID 19 Response Task Force chaired by me on March 2nd, 2020 and also set up a committee to mobilise resources for the implementation of our multi-faceted strategy. As indicated earlier, pandemic response is dynamic, and as leaders, we are guided by the advice from experts in the medical and related fields.17. Some of the steps we have taken in Ekiti state include a strategic lockdown of the state for about a month now, with tactical breaks in between to allow for people to restock on essentials. We have also deployed an extensive palliatives programme catering to the most vulnerable in the State, particularly the elderly and the poor and those who have suffered loss of income.18. In this regard, we have been able to leverage ourdatabases of vulnerable segments of the society from existing social security programmes, as well as structures we have created to reach our people effectively. Ekiti state has been recognised as a leader in social security provisioning amongst sub-national governments in Sub-Saharan Africa.19. I am especially proud of the level of compliance and cooperation amongst our people, which was demonstrated in a recent viral video showing an Ekiti man who refused to allow his son into the house after the young lad sneaked into the state against existing measures. The man did the responsible thing and handed the boy over to the state government for the mandatory 14 days’ quarantine. Such is the level of cooperation the good people of Ekiti have given to government which makes our job a lot easier.
NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL:20. This crisis has taught us one big lesson, that we are only as strong as our weakest link. Globally, the virus has been particularly unkind to our senior citizens, and people with underlying health conditions. Economically, the restrictions put in place by the federal and state governments have been tough on our more vulnerable people, leading to widespread concerns about job losses and food security. Even in the aftermath of this virus, many have suggested the world as we’ve known it will change permanently, and force a review of many existing business and even government models we took for granted.21. Nigeria must emerge from this crisis with a plan to create jobs, reduce poverty and put food on the table of our citizens. We must attract investment required to bridge our infrastructure deficit, and prioritise the provision of critical investment in education, healthcare, security and other social protection needs.22. Agriculture, the mainstay of our national and many subnational economies, has never been more important, especially as we seek to reduce hunger. COVID-19 has shown the importance of food security, and our ability to call on the nation’s food reserve at this time only validates the federal government’s decision to prioritise food production.23. As the planting season is up on us, our next set of interventions must focus on the following areas: a massive national land clearing programme to open new land banks for agriculture; farm roads that ensure the effective transportation of inputs to, and produce from farms; extension services leveraging mobile and digital technology, which will not only enumerate and geotag farm lands to unlock dead capital, but also share best practices with our farmers using mobile phones; irrigation infrastructure to support wet and dry season farming, which bring an immediate uplift to yields; funding for our research institutes and universities, to develop more productive inputs; and finally, improving the linkage between farmers and markets by promoting more off take and out grower schemes with the private sector. Governments at the state level are ready to engage partners keen to work on these issues.24. We absolutely need to create the enabling environment for the economy to grow again. We must ensure a skilled and healthy workforce is developed to benefit from these investments, and the expected adjustments to the global supply chain. We must optimise our population by preparing for the future of work. From early stage education, to technical and vocational training, and digital skills training, we should equip our young people with the skills needed to take jobs in the post COVID-19 age.25. However, as we chart a long term plan for Nigeria to emerge stronger from the crisis, we must also reflect on the immediate actions to address our short term challenges. With a reduction in revenues, we must reduce the cost of government. Apart from the passage of supplementary budgets by federal and state governments, we need to explore various recommendations on streamlining ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs) to reduce wastage. We must also be ready to eliminate or minimise non-core expenses, and also ensure the wage bill at all levels of government is accompanied by accountability, productivity and effectiveness of our workforce.26. There is an immediate opportunity to support our businesses, particularly SMEs, support our women to rebuild family structures whilstmodifying the conditions for existing loan guarantees and creating new opportunities thatcan encourage financial institutions to support small businesses recovering from the economic slowdown. In order to boost consumption, government can also allow employees who have lost their jobs to access a portion of their pension contributions earlier than the period stipulated in the Pension Reform Act.27. There is no national or subnational plan that will not depend on the security of lives and property to succeed. By focusing on job creation and poverty reduction, we will reduce the lack of opportunity, which remains a big incentive for crime. However, for those who still insist on criminality, we must be ready to tackle them with well-trained, equipped and appropriately remunerated security agencies.28. As State Governments, we recognise the importance of improving our collaboration to ensure an aligned national agenda. These collaborations include regional networks among states within the same geo-political areas; national collaboration among all states, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and stronger collaboration between states and the federal government, hence our advocacy for a joined up national strategy.
CONCLUSION
A Charge on Personal Responsibility29. I must charge us all to be steadfast in our personal efforts to protect ourselves and our loved ones by making responsible decisions in line with government directives. Please try as much as possible to avoid peddling fake news and unverified information which cause more harm than good.30. It is also important that we desist from stigmatising people that test positive to COVID 19 or who are suspected to be infected. COVID-19 is not a death sentence. Whilst every loss of life diminishes us, we must be careful not to throw the nation into panic and paralysis as it is clear that COVID-19 virus is going to remain with us for some time to come. Our duty, as leaders, is to respond appropriately by protecting lives and livelihoods and developing workable solutions to prevent and reduce the spread of the virus. We can only defeat this disease with transparency and collaborative efforts, and needless stigma would not encourage this.
A Word of Encouragement31. I must conclude by saluting the courage of our exceptional healthcare workers all over the country, who are going beyond the call of duty to serve on the frontlines of this war against COVID 19. This Workers Day celebration is dedicated to you all. May God reward your labours of love.32. I would also like to offer some words of encouragement to us all. It has been a very tough first quarter of the year 2020. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and by the grace of God we shall overcome. We may feel like we are alone in these times, but we are together, and God is with us. We will overcome.
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State
Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum