NYSC, NPFL, Schools and other activities suspended in Nigeria over Coronavirus
Three weeks after the first case of Coronavirus was confirmed in Nigeria on February 28, the country is doubling down efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. The new measures are being pursued after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC announced five new cases of Coronavirus yesterday.
With an additional four cases confirmed today, March 19, more activities are getting suspended around the country to combat the virus. Most of the suspensions are predominantly in Lagos where almost all the Coronavirus cases have been recorded.
In a bid to avoid a massive outbreak in the country, here are some of the activities that are being suspended.
NYSC Orientation Camps
The National Youth Service Corp, NYSC orientation camp was the first to be suspended on Wednesday — nine days into the 21-day exercise. The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, announced on Twitter that the government took the decision to prevent further spread of Coronavirus.
“Today across the country, the NYSC Orientation camps will be closed and Youth Corpers will be paid and sent to their places of primary assignment. This again is a precautionary measure on the part of the government to check the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Schools
Starting from Monday, March 23, all schools in Lagos, and Ogun states will be shut down indefinitely.
According to the Commissioner for Education in Lagos, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, the decision was taken to prevent pupils and teachers from contracting or spreading the Coronavirus.
“Due to the global spread of the Coronavirus and the recent ban of all high-density gatherings in Ogun State, the State Government wishes to clarify that the ban on high-density gatherings affects all schools, whether they are public or private-owned,” the Ogun state government said in a statement.
Kwara state has also announced that it will be shutting down all public schools across the state from Monday as well.
Religious gatherings
The Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday banned religious gatherings that involve more than 50 people in the state. All the mega churches and mosques in the state are prohibited from holding crowded services or gatherings.
The ban goes beyond Lagos as the Ogun state government has also joined in on the ban.
NASFAT, a Nigerian Muslim prayer group has suspended all gatherings involving more than 50 people while the Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria directs its members to suspend church activities.
Churches cancelling their services
RCCG: One of the largest Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG has also directed all parishes in Lagos and Ogun states not to have more than 50 people in their services.
Daystar Christian Centre: Long known for their adoption of online services, Daystar has suspended physical gatherings for its members by providing links where they could join services online.
Covenant Christian Centre: Covenant centre has also cancelled services and provided an online alternative where members can join worship virtually.
The Chairman of the Lagos chapter of CAN, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, believes the pandemic hasn’t yet reached the level of grounding services.
“We believe we will never get to the point of having to ban all services and churches will be grounded,” he said.
NPFL matches
Just like its counterparts in Europe and other parts of the world, sporting activities by the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL has been suspended indefinitely.
The League Management Committee, LMC said on Wednesday that the move is in line with global preventive measures against the Coronavirus. The Nigerian Football Federation, NFF had earlier banned all football activities for the next four weeks.
EbonyLife Place
Mo Abudu’s newly built lifestyle and entertainment complex, EbonyLife Place has shut down operations to avoid any Coronavirus incident.
“Due to elevation of COVID-19 to pandemic status, in a bid to promote public health and safety and ensure that our guests are safe, we hereby announce that EbonyLife Place will now be closed till further notice, effective immediately,” it said in a statement.
Some states like Ogun have also banned high-density gatherings that include night clubs, cinemas, malls and sports arenas.
Aside from the outright ban on activities involving a large crowd, the government and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC have also advised the public to engage in social distancing so as to minimise the possibility of spreading the virus.
