Tag: COVID-19

Covid-19: FG to ban unvaccinated civil servants from offices December 1

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has said it would ban workers who fail to show proof of their Covid-19 vaccination from accessing their offices as from December 1st. The civil servants will be required to show their vaccination card or a Polymerase Chain Reaction, (PCR), test done within 72 hours. The Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee PSC on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, confirmed this at yesterday’s briefing of the committee. According to him, “With effect from 1st December, 2021, Federal Government employees shall…

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UK relaxes rules for fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria

Aminu Imam

The United Kingdom has reviewed its travel protocols for travellers from Nigeria who have taken their complete jabs of the COVID-19 vaccines approved by authorities in the country. This was announced in a statement by the British High Commission yesterday. “From Monday, October 11, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria will be able to come to England without needing to provide a pre-departure test, undertake a day 8 test or self-isolate for 10 days, although will still need to book and pay for a day 2 test”, the statement read…

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Covid-19 vaccine certification: Lack of central vaccine database puts Nigeria on UK’s blacklist

Aminu Imam

Nigeria has for long been slow to provide a database that could help authenticate the vaccine cards of those vaccinated. The Federal Government’s failure to provide a single recognised vaccine database is the major reason the United Kingdom, (UK), has refused to approve Nigeria’s vaccine certificate,  Although the UK relaxed its Covid-19 vaccine policy for more than 50 countries, Nigeria is missing on the list. The UK government had said Nigeria is on the ‘amber’ list, which has restrictions for travellers to the UK irrespective of whether they have been…

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Covid-19: UK set Oct. 4 to reduce travel restrictions on Nigerians, others

Aminu Imam

The United Kingdom, (UK), has said it will on October 4, 2021, simplify rules for Nigerians and other international visitors to the United Kingdom. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, who made the disclosure in an issued statement in Abuja yesterday, said, “As from 4th October, the current system will be simplified. There will be a single red list of countries and territories where stricter rules apply, and there will also be a “rest of the world” list, with simplified travel measures. The ‘rest of the world’ list…

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Covid-19: Nigeria confirms 433 cases 2 deaths on Thursday 

Aminu Imam

…Fourth wave ‘imminent’ Nigeria, on Thursday, recorded two additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic with 433 fresh cases reported across 16 States and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT). This was contained in an update shared on the Facebook page of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC), late Thursday night. The data indicate that Nigeria’s total infection from the pandemic currently stands at 203,514, while the fatality toll increased to 2,668. It also noted that four states- Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun and Sokoto – recorded no fresh cases. The breakdown shows…

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Sokoto: ‘Politicians hijacked CBN’s Covid-19 loans’ – Small businesses  groan

Aminu Imam

Small business owners in Sokoto State are fuming over the alleged silence of the government on the impact of Covid-19 on their businesses.  Also, market traders in the State have decried their inability to access government facilities. They claimed that most of the opportunities have been hijacked by politicians and shared among their families and children in the state.  According to a trader at one of the largest markets in the State capital, Sokoto, Hajia Halimah market, Bashir Muhammad, “The government won’t do anything because the government doesn’t like poor people, especially small business…

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‘FG plans to make vaccination mandatory for all public service employees’ – SGF

Aminu Imam

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has revealed that the Federal government shall very shortly unveil mandatory vaccination for every public service employee. This, according to him, will be made possible as the Federal Government increase supplying vaccine. While adding that It is important that we also fine-tune the policies when the President and the Vice-President took the vaccine it became mandatory for the ordinary citizen to follow suit. He gave this revelation while declaring open a 2-day quarterly meeting with the theme: “Building a stronger…

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Covid-19: FG to sanction Nigerians who refuse vaccination

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government may sanction eligible Nigerians who refuse Covid-19 vaccination. The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shu’aib, gave the hint at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday. In Edo and Ondo States, the State governments had already announced restrictions regarding some public places that those who have not taken the Covid-19 vaccine cannot have access to. Shu’aib said the government may “apply the basic rule of law” against such people, because they will be endangering the lives of other people. According to him, “You…

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WHO ranks Nigeria 4th best in Covid-19 response

Aminu Imam

The World Health Organisation, (WHO), has ranked Nigeria’s Covid-19 response as the fourth-best in the world. WHO’s Country Representative, Dr. Walter Mulombo, disclosed this during an event marking the arrival of the first consignment of 177,600 doses of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine yesterday in Abuja. It said at least 1,173,132 doses of the vaccine, part of the 29.8 million doses procured by the Federal Government through the African Export-Import Bank, will arrive this month. According to Mulombo, “We are witnessing the symbolic arrival of 177,600 Johnson &…

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COVID-19: Why we chose J&J vaccine for the continent – Africa CDC

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The Africa Center for Disease Control (AfricaCDC) has explained that the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine was chosen for the continent because ‘it is a single shot vaccine, with a long shelf-life and partly manufactured on the African continent’. “First of all, as a single-shot vaccine, it is easier and cheaper to administer; second, the vaccine has a long shelf-life and favourable storage conditions. Last, but not least, the vaccine is partly manufactured on the African continent, with fill-finish activities taking place in South Africa”, according to Africa CDC Representative, Dr…

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