Nigeria regrets travel restrictions to curb Omicron variant, says it disrupted business

The Nigerian government said the travel restrictions enforced to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 had no health benefit.

The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Ifedayo Adetifa stated that the restrictions impacted negatively on individuals and businesses.

“Recent experience in Nigeria with the arrival of omicron showed travel restrictions did not have any public health benefits but were disruptive for persons and businesses. COVID-19 has and continues to follow a different course (epidemiology in Nigeria and most of Africa),” Adetifa tweeted.

Following a meeting of the NCDC COVID-19 National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) held on Saturday, Adetifa said the EOC would continue to review the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the coming week.

He expressed confidence that the Nigerian population is significantly protected from a combination of natural infection and vaccination but hinted that there will be changes in government approach if the need arises.

“At the next review and if deemed necessary, a range of actions, not limited to enhanced surveillance of travellers at airports, may be implemented,” Adetifa said.

He advised Nigerians to make use of every opportunity the government has provided via to get vaccinated and urged citizens to receive their primary vaccination which can be two or a single vaccine dose.

“If you have received two vaccine doses already, go get your booster,” Adetifa said.

“If you have received one booster dose already, please go get your second booster dose. If you belong in any of the high-risk categories (old age, etc), kindly ensure you adhere to recommended public health safety measures – mask use, hand hygiene and avoiding crowded spaces.”

By Dennis Erezi, The Guardian

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Former Miss Nigeria dies at 75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Miss Nigeria, Foluke Abosede Ntukdem, has passed on peacefully in her sleep at her Lagos residence.

She died on Monday, 19th of December, 2022, as confirmed by the family

She was 75.

The deceased represented Western State at the beauty pageant and won the competition to become Miss Nigeria in 1968.

She also represented Nigeria at the 18th edition of Miss World held in the British capital in November 1968, which Miss Australia Penny Plummer won.

The son of the late beauty queen, Mfon, when contacted on Thursday, confirmed to our correspondent that his mother died in her sleep.

“My mum, Mrs Foluke Abosede Ntukidem (neeOgundipe), died last Monday, 19th December, at age 75. She had been Miss Nigeria in 1968. We are concluding arrangements and selecting pictures which we will share once concluded,” he said.

ByDimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Premium Times

Video - New currency in Nigeria to affect small businesses according to World Bank

The World Bank has said Nigeria's new currency regime will affect small businesses negatively.The Washington lender expressed this concern in its Nigeria Development Update report.

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Naira hits record low

Nigeria's naira extended losses on the official market on Wednesday to a record low of 461 to the dollar, as trading resumed after the Christmas holiday and the currency weakened to cope with high foreign exchange demand.

The currency hit a low of 460.20 naira by 11:04 GMT, down from its opening position of 454.98 naira, Refinitiv data showed.

"It's a shift from previous levels. Supply is limited," a currency trader at a local bank said.

The currency has fallen to successive lows across both the official and black markets due to dollar scarcity since last year after the central bank intervened to ease pressure on the spot market, where the naira has been trading within a range.

"The scarcity is still there yet clients are doing trades with guides from the regulator," the trader said.

The naira dropped to a two-month low on the official market last week and weakened across the board on

the forwards market.

By Chijioke Ohuocha, Reuters

Car crash into street party in Nigeria leaves 7 dead

An out-of-control car crashed into a crowd at a large street party in southern Nigeria on Tuesday, leaving seven people dead and many others injured, authorities told The Associated Press.

The driver lost control of the car on a packed street in Calabar, Cross River State capital, just as people were gathering to watch a bikers parade at the Calabar carnival, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Tuesday’s bikers show is one of the main highlights of the carnival event known as one of Africa's biggest street parties. The annual carnival has regularly drawn people from across Nigeria and beyond since it began nearly two decades ago.

Thousands had gathered to watch the bikers’ stunts when the car smashed into people, scattering bodies and leaving the injured along the road, witnesses said.

Hassan Abdullahi Maikano, head of the road safety corps in Cross River, told AP that the car was traveling at high speed when it ran through security controls.

“The motorist lost control and ran into the crowd. The total number involved were 36; seven died and 29 got injured,” said Maikano, adding five of the injured were children. The driver survived but was injured, he added.

Cross River Gov. Ben Ayade ordered the parade canceled and the driver placed under arrest, according to Christian Ita, his spokesman.

Ita said the governor has extended his sympathies to the victims and their families and ordered an immediately investigation into how the crash occurred.

By Chinedu Asadu, AP