THE Federal Government has mandated a negative COVID-19 result for fully vaccinated travellers coming into Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 Boss Mustapha in a statement on Friday.
Mustapha said the new directive was part of the revised travel protocol for international passengers.
“Travellers arriving in Nigeria must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result conducted not more than 72hours before boarding,” the statement read.
He said that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated in-bound passengers would be required to observe a mandatory seven-day self-isolation in addition to a COVID-19 PCR test on the second and seventh day after arrival.
“Fully vaccinated in-bound passengers will not be required to observe the mandatory 7-days self-isolation but will be required to do a COVID-19 PCR test on day two of arrival,” Mustapha said.
The SGF further said that persons arriving on a business trip or official duty staying fewer than seven days in Nigeria must be fully vaccinated, produce negative COVID-19 PCR result 72 hours before boarding and conduct a PCR test on day two of their arrival.
“It will be recalled that the PSC Chairman Mustapha had, during the national briefing, promised that a revised travel protocol would be published.
“The review of the protocol is based on science, national experience, and global developments.”
This is coming a few days after the Nigerian government said it would enforce compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for all its employees, effective December 1.
The government said all its workers were to show evidence of their COVID-19 vaccine before gaining entry into their offices.
Fewer than three million Nigerians have received complete doses of the vaccines.
Nigeria has only received fewer than 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to administer to its over 200 million population.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94