Tag: COVID-19

Nigeria committed to development of e-commerce strategy -FG

Jennifer Ibezim

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, says Nigeria is currently working to establish a strategy on e- commerce that will boost growth of the sector. The minister stated this on Saturday in Abuja at a stakeholder dialogue on e-commerce and digital trade policy for Nigeria. Adebayo noted that there is no better time than now to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from the oil sector by building a dynamic, profitable and efficient non-oil sector to reposition the economy on a sustainable growth path. The minister who was represented…

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Omicron: Canada Lifts Travel Ban On Nigeria, Other African Countries

Echezona Ibezim

Canada announced Friday the lifting of a ban on foreign travelers from 10 African countries, while reimposing testing and warning that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 risks quickly overwhelming hospitals. The travel restriction on flights from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt will end at 11:59 pm on Saturday (0459 GMT Sunday), Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference. The restriction had been announced last month “to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time,” he said. But with…

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WHO Renames New COVID-19 Variant ‘Omicron’

Echezona Ibezim

The World Health Organization on Friday declared the recently-discovered B.1.1.529 strain of Covid-19 to be a variant of concern, renaming it Omicron. “Based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology… the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern, named Omicron,” the UN health agency said in a statement. Meanwhile, EU officials holding an emergency meeting over the variant agreed on Friday to urge all 27 nations in the bloc to restrict travel from that region. “Member States agreed to introduce rapidly restrictions on all travel…

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COVID-19: Uganda To Reopen Schools After Almost Two Years

Echezona Ibezim

Ugandan schools, closed since March last year owing to the pandemic, will reopen in January regardless of currently low vaccination uptake, the country’s president said on Thursday. “Be informed that the schools will be opened in January and the rest of the economy will be opened in the same month,” said Yoweri Museveni. “Vaccination is key to the reopening of the economy,” he said, even though fewer than three million jabs have been doled out for a population of roughly 45 million. Ugandans have shown reticence to get jabbed so…

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Banks make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for staff

Echezona Ibezim

Nigerian banks have issued directives mandating workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. TheCable reports that six financial institutions directed their workers to go for vaccination or conduct COVID-19 tests on a bi-weekly basis at personal cost. Last week, the federal government mandated civil servants to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said unvaccinated workers would be barred from entering their places of work from December 1, 2021. Mustapha is also the chairman of the presidential steering committee (PSC) on COVID-19. “You are…

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UNILAG reopens hostels, begins exams August 26

Echezona Ibezim

After the closure of students’ hostels in July over the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, the management of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, has asked students to start returning to campus from next week. A statement on Wednesday by the Registrar, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, indicated that the students should begin to arrive the campus from August 26, to start their semester examinations. It read: “Following the incidence of COVID-19 in the University of Lagos, Senate at its meeting held on Monday, July 21, directed the immediate closure of all halls of residence…

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Unilag Student’s hostel shuts down indefinitely, classes go online

Echezona Ibezim

The management of the University of Lagos has shut down the student hostels over reported cases of coronavirus on the campus. Also, the management also approved that lectures for the rest of the semester should be delivered virtually with effect from 26th July 2021. The decision was reached at an emergency senate meeting held on Wednesday at the J. F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium. Our correspondent gathered that the students were directed to vacate the halls of residence latest by 12.00 noon on Thursday, July 15, 2021. They were also advised…

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Nigeria Government ‘bans’ Emirate airline

Echezona Ibezim

The Nigerian government has temporarily banned Emirates airline from operating in the country over its continuous refusal to fly passengers without a pre-boarding rapid diagnostic test (RTD’s). The chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF), Boss Mustapha, while speaking at its weekly briefing on Monday said the ban will take effect from midnight on Wednesday, March 17. “KLM will resume outbound flights from Lagos on March 15, 2021, without RDTs while a letter has been written to Emirates airlines to suspend flights with effect from midnight Wednesday, March…

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FG Bans Assemblies, Overcrowding, Visiting Days As Schools Resume On Monday 18

Echezona Ibezim

The Federal Government, on Thursday, banned overcrowding and large gatherings such as assemblies and visiting days, as schools reopen on Monday. It also put limitations to class sizes and hostel occupancy and asked the schools to ensure compulsory wearing of face masks by all students, teachers and workers, as well ensure temperature checks and put hand washing facilities in strategic locations in all schools The government also asked the school authorities to ensure constant supply of water and sanitisers, and make available functional health clinics with facilities for isolation and transportation of…

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LASU Shuts Hostels As Students Test Positive For COVID-19

Echezona Ibezim

The Management of the Lagos State University has shut down all hostels at the College of Medicine, LASUCOM, as three students have tested positive for Coronavirus disease. A statement on Thursday night by the Coordinator, Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, CIPPR, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said the affected students had been isolated and were being treated. “In addition, stakeholders are also informed that: Roommates of the three students who tested positive and their associates are being tested; the College already isolated the affected three (3) students and has commenced contact…

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