The Federal Government has extended phase three of the eased COVID-19 lockdown by one month. Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha speaking at a briefing of the Taskforce on Monday, January 25, noted that the guidelines for the current phase of the eased lockdown have been reviewed. Government employees on grade level 12 and below are to continue working from home. Bars, event centres and other recreational venues are to be closed for the period, while public gatherings have been restricted to 50 persons. It will be recalled that Nigeria commenced phase three of the eased lockdown on September 4, 2020 with the resumption of international flight operations, restricted public gatherings, re-opening of schools, restaurants, event centres, etc.
In adherence to the Federal Government’s directive on the resumption of schools in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, several educational institutions resumed on Monday, January 18. Following this, the Federal Ministry of Education clarified that students should not be required to take COVID-9 tests in order to be allowed into their schools. The Federal Government however, reiterated the need for strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions to curb the spread of the disease. The re-opening of schools was not without criticism over the fear of spread of the new strain of the virus, with media reports indicating unsatisfactory compliance with stipulated health protocols. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while stating that its members were ready to resume classes, insisted that the Federal Government must guarantee their safety before lectures could commence. The President of the Union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi also stated that the Federal Government and management of tertiary institutions were yet to assess the state of facilities in the universities at the stipulated time for resumption, to ensure their adequacy in view of the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Boss Mustapha had earlier stressed the need for improvement in the level of compliance to health protocols, while describing the country’s situation as a difficult one ”in which a balance must continue to be struck between lives and livelihood.” He enjoined Nigerians to do everything possible to avoid a second lockdown. However, the position of the Nigerian government is in contrast with its directive to citizens to enroll with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for their National Identity Numbers (NIN), to be linked to their SIM cards, in the midst of a ravaging pandemic.