THE Nigerian government will begin the enforcement of compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for all its employees effective December 1.
Consequently, all workers are to show evidence of their COVID-19 vaccine before gaining entry into their offices.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 Boss Mustapha stated this on Wednesday in Abuja.
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Workers who could not present evidence of vaccination would show a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours, Mustapha said.
Nigeria recorded 208,153 cases of the virus and 2,756 deaths as at Wednesday. About 195,936 people have recovered from the virus.
Nigerians have been divided over COVID-19 vaccination. While some show interest in the vaccine, others do not.
The ICIR reported in August how less than one per cent of Nigeria’s population had been vaccinated against the virus.
Earlier this month, this newspaper also reported how nearly five million people in the country had received their first vaccine dose against the disease.
Only a little over two million people have received their second doses of the vaccines.
It remains unclear if the government will get vaccines to vaccinate its teeming workers before December 1.
Nigeria has received fewer than 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to administer to its people since the world recorded vaccine breakthrough to combat the disease.
The country got four million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in March and received another batch of four million doses of Moderna from the United States in August.
Nigeria also received additional 592,880 doses of AstraZeneca from the UK in August.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has lifted travel restrictions on South Africa, Turkey, and Brazil.
Mustapha said discussions were ongoing between Nigeria and UAE to resolve the impasse over travel restrictions between the two countries.
“The (Nigerian) aviation authorities in collaboration with the diplomatic sector have made reasonable progress in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Discussions are still ongoing with the UAE authorities to resolve the impasse.”
He also welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria from October 11.
He assured that Nigeria would continue to review its protocols based on global developments, science and national experience.
According to him, the country would issue its revised protocol in the next 24 hours.
He also said Nigeria had received the position of African countries on vaccine passport, which he said some economic blocs attempted to impose on travellers.
He said the position became necessary because African countries were yet to get the vaccine for their citizens in large quantities.
Mustapha noted that the statistics generated over the last four weeks on testing showed that the infection trend was going down in some states, while the trajectory had gone up in others.
He said the total testing for COVID-19 in the country stood at about 3.14 million people.
“The PSC wishes to put Nigerians on notice that two major religious festivities (Salah and Christmas) are approaching, and we shall be experiencing increased passenger traffic in and out of the country. Similarly, events of large gatherings are likely to hold. While the PSC prepares to escalate surveillance and other control activities, we urge the states and all Nigerians also to increase their vigilance and take measures to moderate activities.”
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org