Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has borrowed the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, about 100 pick-up vans for contact tracing in six states and the Federal Capital Territory.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made this known in a statement on Friday.
Okoye said some of the states that will benefit from the vans are Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Kano, and Rivers.
He said, “The PTF has requested about 100 pick-up vans from the commission’s fleet to be deployed for contact tracing, surveillance/laboratory and infection prevention/control in six states and the Federal Capital Territory, in the first instance.”
Okoye said all its state offices of the commission have been asked to be on standby in case the PTF requested additional support to combat the pandemic.
The statement added that INEC is partnering with the Nigerian Communications Commission and telecommunications service providers to assist in raising public awareness about the coronavirus pandemic.
Okoye said the telecom providers will help by sending bulk messages to registered voters in order to sensitize them.
