The residents of Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos and the federal capital city of Abuja are experiencing the third day of the easing of the lockdown imposed in the two cities on March 30 by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to check the spread of coronavirus.
In announcing the easing of the lockdown in a nationwide broadcast, Buhari warned that the residents must maintain social distancing and the wearing of face mask among other guidelines. Unfortunately, these guidelines have not been observed so far.
Appalled by the reckless disregard for these guidelines, especially the wearing of face mask and social distancing, the Nigerian government has raised alarm on Tuesday, April 5, over the potential spike in the spread of COVID-19 and warned that it would not hesitate to shut down the country if that happens. The Nigerian press was agog on Tuesday and Wednesday with reports of residents flooding the streets of Lagos and Abuja, while the commercial buses failed to comply with the guidelines issued on the number of passengers to be carried in a bus during a trip.
However, the Nigerian government is not alone in expressing displeasure on the behavior of residents of these cities, For instance, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised alarm that the non-compliance to social distancing and wearing of masks may lead to a spike in the number coronavirus cases in Lagos, Abuja and the other 35 states of the country. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has also expressed its displeasure that Nigerians were ignoring its plea to maintain social distancing and the wearing of face masks to curtail the spread of the virus.
It is widely believed that the Nigerian president was compelled to lift the ban of the lockdown due to the pressure mounted by some prominent Nigerians and the growing anger over the lockdown and the warning against the impending hunger pandemic in Nigeria. One of such personalities was the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Prof. Charles Soludo, who faulted the imposition of the lockdown in Nigerian and many African countries as was the case in most western countries, with the a coterie of defensive measures. These measures, according to him, include border closure; prepare isolation centres and mobilize medical personnel/facilities; implement “stay at home” orders or lockdowns except for food, medicine and essential services; campaign for basic hygiene and social distancing; arrange welfare packages for the vulnerable; and also economic stimulus packages to mitigate the effects on the macro economy.
Soludo, who is also a member of the economic advisory committee of the Nigerian government, noted that many African countries have largely copied the above template to varying degrees. Piece-meal extensions of “stay at home” or lockdown orders as in many western countries have also been copied in Africa. But he wondered if Africa can really afford lockdowns, and if it can be effective.
He added that given the social and economic circumstances of Africa and the impending ‘economic pandemic’, can Africa successfully and sustainably defeat Covid-19 by copying the conventional trial-and-error template of the western nations?
Soludo disclosed that in the western societies from where we copied the lockdown/border closure, their citizens are literally paid to stay at home (by silently dropping monies into their accounts plus other incentives). He, however, noted that despite these palliatives, there are restiveness/protests in several of these countries with the unrelenting pressure to eliminate the restrictions.
To avert the imposition of another lockdown, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says it will embark on a nationwide education and awareness campaign on COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, public fumigation, environmental sanitation and robust public health education.
Abba Wabba, President of the NLC, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that in the course of the gradual relaxation of the lockdown, it was important that individual citizens and corporate organisations have both personal and collective responsibility to adhere to all health guidelines.
“We call on the leadership of our industrial unions and the state councils to continue working with the different cadres of workers’ leadership in the states and unions to ensure that health and safety facilities and guidelines are followed.
“Such as running water, soaps, hand sanitizers, use of protective masks and social distancing are made available and enforced at different workplaces.
“We encourage workers not to hesitate to contact the National Secretariat of NLC in the event of any COVID-19 related work place infraction, injustice, negligence and gender-based discrimination.
“This kind of response is crucial in preventing a second wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria. We need all hands to be on deck in this regard,” he said.
In the same vein, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has rolled out additional preventive measures for individuals, employers and businesses in line with the easing of COVID-19 lockdown in parts of the country.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of the NCDC said on Tuesday in Abuja that the new directives resulted from evolving knowledge of COVID-19 locally and nationally as well as to individuals as well as businesses, employers and employees.
“Mandatory use of non-medical face mask/covering for all persons and overnight curfew from 8p.m. to 6a.m. This means that all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services.
“Mandatory provision of hand washing facilities/sanitisers, single-use latex gloves are discouraged, except in clinical settings, or if used, they should be disposed of safely after each single use.
“Restrictions on inter-state travel except for essential services or transportation of agricultural produce and other essential goods and extensive temperature checks on entry into the business premises and other public places.
“Physical distancing of two metres between people in workplaces and other public places and no large gatherings of more than 20 people outside the workplace,” he said.
GIK/APA