US embassy says 250 ventilators Trump promised Buhari will be delivered next week

WASHINGTON has pledged to deliver the 250 ventilators that President Donald Trump promised Nigeria when the coronavirus pandemic was at its height in April next week some five months after the original delivery date.

On April 28, President Trump said his administration would send 250 ventilators to Nigeria within two weeks as part of the ongoing battle to combat Covid-19. In a phone call to President Muhammadu Buhari, President Trump said the deliveries were part of a plan to assist Africa, which included sending 1,000 units to South Africa.

Up until now, the ventilators have not been delivered, however, prompting fears that President Trump may end up reneging on his promise. On May 21 while touring the Ford Motor Plant in Michigan President Trump said he was confident of making the deliveries but so far has been unable to.

After Nigerian health officials recently raised concern about the delivery of the ventilators Mary Leonard, the US ambassador to Nigeria promised they will arrive next Tuesday. She added that the ventilators would be presented to Nigerian health officials at the Premier Medical Warehouse, opposite the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Ms Leonard said: “Donation of these new, leading-edge American-made ventilators and medical accessories is part of the comprehensive US assistance effort to help Nigeria combat the coronavirus pandemic.”