Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday announced that the government will begin a phased and gradual easing of lockdown in Ogun States, Lagos and Abuja from May 4, reported Reuters.
President Buhari said the lockdown, which was imposed last month to tame the spread of the new coronavirus, will continue until 4 May.
Buhari ordered several nationwide measures against Covid-19, including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks. He said the authorities will enforce an overnight curfew, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and will also ensure that all those who are out during the day wear face masks in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene.
The federal government will also enforce a ban on non-essential movement between Nigeria’s 36 states, a measure the governors’ forum had requested.
The moves would ensure the economy functioned “while still maintaining our aggressive response”, the Nigerian president said.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has roughly quadrupled to 1,273 cases and 40 deaths, since a lockdown extension was announced on April 13. The cases are mostly concentrated in Lagos and Abuja.
Buhari admitted that the lockdowns had come at a “very heavy economic cost,” stripping many citizens of their livelihoods. The decision has taken a toll on economic activities, inflicting financial pain on millions of informal laborers who rely on daily pay to survive.
“No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines,” he said. “We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised.”
He also announced an immediate two-week lockdown in Kano after a series of mysterious deaths was reported in the country’s most populous state. Preliminary investigations revealed that the deaths were caused by complications from diabetes, meningitis, acute malaria, and hypertension.
