India has banned the export of strategic medical supplies meant for the fight against the spread of Coronavirus worldwide.
The ban which takes immediate effect, affects masks, ventilators and textile raw materials used in making masks.
Nigeria is one of the first casualties of the ban as consignments of anti-Coronavirus medical supplies meant for shipment to the country were impounded by the Indian authorities in Delhi.
Imported by a Nigerian based company, CONTEC, the supplies are meant to assist Nigeria in the fight against the dreaded virus with the number of infected persons in the country rising.
The fight against the virus around the world, is being severely hampered by shortage of medical supplies such as the ones whose export has been banned by India.
The Indians are probably acting to protect self first as the virus is fast spreading in the country with India’s 1.3 billion population in virtual lockdown as the government in Delhi mobilizes resources to contain it.
CONTEC which has been in operation in Nigeria for a long time says it is turning to China to import the medical supplies to help the country fight the virus.
The Indian ban is contained in a government gazette dated March 19 and signed by the Director-General, Foreign Trade, Amit Yadav.
The new consignment from China by CONTEC is expected in the country next week and will be distributed free as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
