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General News of Monday, 2 March 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

FG can't regulate price of face mask, sanitizer - Health minister

Ehanire Osagie Ehanire Osagie

The Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie has said that the Federal Government cannot regulate the price of face mask and sanitizers which have gone up since the confirmation of coronavirus in Nigeria.

Nigeria confirmed its first case of COVID-19 after an Italian man who visited the country on a business trip fell ill and was diagnosed to have the virus.

Since the news broke out, prices of face mask and sanitizers have gone up in the market with many Nigerians complaining.

Ehanire who spoke on Channels Television's Sunday Politics say the price of the items can't be regulated because Nigeria operates a market autonomy.

“The government is concerned about prices going up. But you see, we operate a market autonomy. Those who are traders and suppliers are doing a brisk business by trying to increase importation and those who manufacture are also doing a brisk business scaling up the manufacturing of all these products.

“So it is not surprising that the prices go up at the moment. The government makes sure that those agencies and organisations that need to have these materials have them."

He, however, stated that he hopes the prices of the items drop when vendors start importing more of it.