The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) wants Federal Government to assist states with special funds to enable them combat spread of COVID-19 in the region.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of the Plateau State, Simon Lalong made the call in Jos, after members’ meeting via teleconferencing.
The governor maintained that the fund would assist them to prevent further outbreak as well as prepare against any eventuality.
He said the forum would liaise with the federal government to ensure that every State in the region get at least one testing centre while highly populated ones would get two.
The NGF leader expressed worry that efforts to combat the pandemic had eaten deep into the purse of various states.
Governor Lalong said the forum would liaise with the federal government and the private sector to benefit from available palliatives and donations.
He said the region would make efforts to diversify its economy by concentrating on areas of comparative advantage to reduce over dependence on federal allocations.
The Governor stressed that the region would strengthen border controls and surveillance as well as collaborations, to ensure that there was synergy in enforcing movement restriction in the region.
The chairman commended President Muhammadu Buhari for measures taken to combat the pandemic and promised to support him to defeat the disease.
Lalong also commended the citizens of the region for supporting various directives of State Governments in handling the situation, urging them to endure the situation as it was a global emergency.