The Federal Government of Nigeria has indicated it will review the January 18 date earlier fixed for resumption of schools throughout the country.
The Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement making the announcement, said meeting the goal for a previously-announced resumption date is not sacrosanct. The statement also added that the federal government has started negotiations with state governors on the review of curfew hours in different parts of the country, in order to curb night-time activities and entertainment, which are considered to be driving the surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
The Federal Government had last June reviewed the curfew introduced at the onset of the pandemic from 8 pm to 6 am to 10 pm to 4 am.
It also relaxed the restrictions placed on religious centres and gatherings with more than 20 people, among others.
Already, some of the states have come up with new curfew periods. Ekiti State Government on Sunday imposed an indefinite night curfew and a ban on large crowds in the state to check the spread of Covid-19. This is coming as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) cautioned Nigerians against allowing Covid-19 infections to escalate.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, gave the hint while answering questions during a press briefing organized by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 in Abuja. He attributed the decision to review the resumption date to the second wave of Covid-19 currently ravaging the country. The government said a new date might be announced depending on the nation’s COVID-19 indicators.
“When we decided on that date, it was just a target towards what we were working on. Of course, we are keeping it in view and looking at what is happening in society and then it is supposed to be subject to constant review” Adamu said.
“Even today (Monday) at the PTF meeting, we looked at the rising figures and seriously considered a review. We are reviewing it. The PTF has also said travel, reopening of schools, businesses and religious centres contributed to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Nigeria.
Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, during the media briefing in Abuja, said: “It is very instructive to stress that factors that have contributed to rising in numbers from late November 2020 included increased local and international travels, business and religious activities, reopening of schools without strict compliance with Covid-19 safety measures.
“The full import of the foregoing is to press further on the need for us all to elevate the level of our vigilance and compliance with the recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions.”
The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, also said the PTF and the governors met last week to review the Covid-19 protocol and deepen the community engagement and enforcement of protocols.
Mustapha also said Nigeria has crossed the 100,000 cases mark and now ranked second in the number of new cases, the fourth in cumulative cases in Africa and fifth in cumulative deaths.
He explained that the country last week recorded over 9,000 cases, attributing the factors that have contributed to the rise in numbers from late November 2020 to include increased local and international travels, business and religious activities and reopening of schools without strict compliance with Covid-19 safety measures.
Reports say, branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities had assessed COVID-19 protocols in their respective institutions and said the schools were not ready for safe reopening. ASUU said although its members were ready to start work, the government had not put measures in place for the safe reopening of schools.
Meanwhile, the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has ordered the reopening of primary, secondary and tertiary schools in the state. Mr Ganduje had ordered that all schools be closed indefinitely in December last year, 2020. The state Commissioner for Higher Education, Mariya Bunkure, in a statement, said the governor had approved the reopening of all tertiary institutions in the state by January 18.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Education, Muhammad Kiru, in a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Aliyu Yusuf said Mr Ganduje had approved the new Academic Calendar for the 2020/2021 session for Public and Private Primary and Post Primary Schools.
According to the statement, with the approval of the calendar, the state government had therefore slated January 18 as the official date for the resumption of all-day primary and secondary students in both public and private schools across the state. He explained that boarding schools students are to resume on January 17. The commissioner, however, urged parents to ensure that their wards resume at the approved dates, further urging the school authorities and students to adhere strictly to the protocols of Covid-19.