GOVERNOR of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has commended the producers of a feature documentary on leadership, trust and COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria titled: “Unmaskedâ€.
Speaking during the premiere of the documentary held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, at the weekend, Emefiele, who was represented on the occasion by the Branch Controller, CBN, Ibadan branch, commended renowned female journalist, Kadaria Ahmed and the Director of the documentary, Femi Odugbemi, for showcasing attention on a very vital aspect that is required for the progress of any society.
Emefiele, noted that: “I would like to commend the extensive work that had been undertaken by the producers of the film Ms. Kadaria Ahmed and Mr. Femi Odugbami in showcasing attention on a very vital aspect that is required for the progress of any society, which is the development of a robust healthcare system that can cater to all Nigerians.
“The movie ‘Unmasked’ reflects part of these efforts, in showcasing the impact of COVID-19 on our healthcare system, with a view towards encouraging public and private sector stakeholders to develop innovative ways to improve the capacity of our healthcare institutions.
“As we are all aware, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, brought to the limelight, the vital linkage between public health and economic growth.
“Nations all across the world with the exception of China witnessed unprecedented declines in growth in the year 2020, due to the rapid spread of the virus, along with the imposition of containment measures that were designed to slow down the spread of the virus.
“In Nigeria, we were faced with both domestic and external spillover effects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, the over 60 percent decline in oil prices in the first half of the year, affected our foreign exchange earnings as well as government revenue.
“In addition, key sectors, particularly those that were contact facing, such as hospitality, education, transportation, tourism, and trade, witnessed significant declines in growth.â€
Emefiele further stated that: “I would also like to call attention to the immense potential of our creative industries in drawing awareness, as well as attention to issues confronting society through the use of
