In an effort geared towards building a robust healthcare infrastructure, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it has so far disbursed over N83.9 billion in loans to pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, mafe known in Lagos during the weekend.

Speaking during the launch of the documentary film, “Unmasked”, Emefiele lamented that Nigerians’ out of pocket expenses on healthcare had risen to 76 percent of total healthcare expenditure. Noting that the development of a robust healthcare infrastructure is vital for the progress of any society, he explained that addressing the public health crisis along with the downturn in the economy required strong coordination from both the monetary and fiscal authorities.” This work will require the collaborative efforts of both public and private sector stakeholders,” he added. On the CBN efforts by the health sector to contain the pandemic, Emefiele said: “In this regard, we disbursed over N83.9 billion in loans to pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners, which is supporting 26 pharmaceutical and 56 medical projects across the country.