The Republic of Madagascar has asked Nigeria to pay 170,000 Euros (78,200,000 Naira) for the COVID-19 drugs sent to the Federal Government.

The quantity of the consignment sent to Nigeria through Guinea Bissau could not be ascertained. However, according to The Nation, the cost for the quantity sent is 78,200,000 Naira.

Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja on Saturday, brought the drugs allocated to Nigeria by Madagascar.

President Buhari said the drug will pass through intensive test to determine its suitability.

According to The Nation, a source on Sunday said: “For our consignments in Guinea Bissau, Madagascar has asked Nigeria to pay over €170,000 (N78, 200,000). We have received the invoice because the African country has made us to realise that the drugs are not being given out free.

“We are being asked to pay for the drugs yet to be validated. Since the AU directed the supply of the drugs to African countries, we may have no choice than to pay for it.

“This payment may, however, be one-off because mass importation of the drugs from Madagascar will not be cost effective. By the time we take into account the cost of freight, the amount will be too high.

“This is why we are looking at local options available to us as a nation.

“Some researchers have told us that we have richer herbs to contain COVID-19. In fact, a shop in Wuse 2, Abuja has been discovered to be selling Artemisia Tea with high potency than COV drugs.

“As a nation, we will leave all options open and look inwards. But, we will subject Madagascar herbal drugs to verification or validation.

“The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 is also thinking of asking the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)  and  the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD)  to relax the protocols  and hasten the validation of local drugs for COVID-19.”

The NAFDAC and NIPRD are awaiting the samples from Madagascar for validation.

A highly-placed source in NIPRD said: “We are yet to get the samples for testing and validation. We are hopeful that this week, we might receive them. Our team is on the alert.”