The declaration by a Nigerian agency that chloroquine prevents the dreaded coronavirus and the call for a gold processing centre that would end the export of raw gold out of the country are some of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday.
The Guardian reports that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), yesterday, declared that chloroquine prevents the dreaded coronavirus.
Its Director General, Prof. Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye, said during an online interactive session with journalists that “we realise that chloroquine can be used in the early stage of the COVID-19 infection as prophylactic treatment. Science does not lie”.
The pharmacist further explained: “On March 20, 2020 during a press briefing, I said I was going through a literature and I found (out) that chloroquine and remdesivir killed COVID-19 in vitro – that is in the laboratory. In early March, there was a publication where 100 patients were treated with chloroquine in 10 hospitals across Chinese cities. I made a statement that chloroquine is only for clinical trial treatment. There has to be a level of confidence that depends on the number of subjects and results.”
“We did not know that the disease has four stages that include pre-exposure, early stage, severe stage and post-infection. At what stage that chloroquine will be more effective, we did not know at that time.
“We are now understanding that it is not one drug that can be effective for COVID-19. It depends on the phase of the disease. We started working with Lagos State on clinical trial for chloroquine. We are getting to know that that it is working.
“My colleague in Ghana has a robust study on chloroquine use on COVID-19 patients that is going to be released soon. Also, several people that had COVID-19 in Senegal recovered after using the drug,” she said.
With gold trading at over $1,946 per ounce and still rising, it’s a good time for Nigeria to pursue wealth creation and diversify its economy by creatively exploiting its natural and human resources.
The newspaper says that Gold prices have not only rebounded in the international market amid global recession that has made investors wary of currencies, but also have for decades defied predictions of free fall like oil and other commodity prices.
But a gold processing centre that would end the export of raw gold out of the country is yet to debut to fully harness the potential in this high-risk, high-rewarding industry.
Nigeria’s Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said the government had licensed two gold refineries – one in Abuja, and the other Ogun State, to produce the metal for export and for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to hold in its reserves.
The country’s first gold refining licence was issued in 2018 to local firm Kian Smith Trade & Co., which is expects to begin operations this year, having failed to start last year.
The Guardian gathered that another firm is billed to start production in Osun State next year, creating 400 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs in the process.
ThisDay reports that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned Nigerians to stop consuming an organic apple and black currant originating from Australia.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, who disclosed this, said the products had been certified harmful for human consumption.
“The Centre for Food Safety of Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has warned against the consumption of Pure Tassie Organic Apple and Blackcurrant Juice originating from Australia.
“This was due to unacceptable level of patulin (a mycotoxin), which had exceeded the maximum limit in fruit juice,” she said.
Adeyeye pointed out that the level of patulin content in the affected fruit juice can induce the liver, spleen, and kidney damage.
The Punch says that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers’ Committee have agreed to extend special facilities to Nigerian-registered airlines and the media industry in Nigeria to enable them to address the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CBN said the agreement, which was on the prompting of its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was made on Tuesday.
It said Emefiele, while addressing banks’ chief executives at the bi-monthly virtual meeting of the Bankers’ Committee, urged the banks to do all within their powers to support airlines in Nigeria. The CBN boss said such support was critical to helping the industry recover from the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement issued by Principal Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Olalekan Ajayi, he urged the banks to support the efforts of the media industry to cope with the lingering pandemic and avoid massive job losses in the sector.
The Sun says that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to review the border closure and put measures in place to guard against ill practices at the country’s land borders.
The call is coming one year after the country’s land borders were shut by the Federal Government. The closure was aimed at curbing smuggling.
MAN noted that the policy was not sustainable, and urged the government to call stakeholders to a round table meeting and review the achievements so far, while putting in place right structures.
Its acting Director General, Paul Oruche, recommended assessment of what the country has achieved in terms of stopping the smuggling of small and sophisticated arms and other reasons for the closure, as the move would enable the Federal Government take a decision on going forward.
GIK/APA