Buhari appointed ECOWAS COVID-19 response champion

Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday appointed President Muhammadu Buhari as the champion that will coordinate the COVID-19 response in the sub-region. 

Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this via a post on his Twitter page, shortly after the sub-regional heads arrived at the decision at a virtual summit held during the day.

“The Heads of State will be discussing the Situation and Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in the ECOWAS Region. Preceding this Extraordinary Summit, the Ministers in Charge of Finance and the Governors of Central Banks from the Region held a virtual Extraordinary Session on April 21, 2020 on the COVID-19 situation,” he posted on Twitter.

While providing a situational analysis of spread of the novel disease, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) said as of Tuesday, the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region are 5,774.

It however, noted that 1,616 patients have recovered from the disease, with 147 deaths recorded in the region.