Nigeria’s coronavirus test rate rises by 32% — after Jack Ma’s donation

Twenty-four hours after donated medical supplies including test kits arrived in Nigeria, the country’s test rate for coronavirus shot up by 32 percent.

By the end of March 25, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) carried out 262 tests for the disease, according to data obtained by TheCable.

Of that number, 84 tests were carried out on Wednesday alone, indicating a daily increase of 32 percent from the 262 done by the end of March 25.

The tests were also expanded from 16 states to 23 including: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti and Enugu.

Others are FCT, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe.

TheCable had reported how Nigeria was facing difficulty in carrying out tests for COVID-19 largely as a result of inadequate test kits.

Amid the difficulty, Jack Ma, Chinese billionaire, announced he would donate 20,000 test kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective gears each to Nigeria and 53 other African countries to combat the virus.

Africa can be one step ahead of the coronavirus. To each of the 54 African countries, we will donate 20,000 test kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 medical use protective suits and face shields. Thank you @PMEthiopia @AbiyAhmedAli for your support. pic.twitter.com/6oKptVCjNx

— Jack Ma (@JackMa) March 16, 2020

The supplies arrived in the country on Tuesday, after which they were moved to Abuja.

As of Thursday night, Nigeria recorded a total of 65 coronavirus cases across eight states and the federal capital territory (FCT).