Six months of COVID-19 response in Nigeria: lessons, challenges, and way forward

Abstract

Background: The declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization necessitated countries across the globe to implement response and mitigation measures. We aimed to assess the Nigerian government's response following six months of detection of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Methods: A narrative review of existing literature on the topic was done. The authors' opinion as experts supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response was included. The review and opinion were summarized, covering six months of the outbreak response in Nigeria.

Results: Contact tracing commenced after identifying the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria but has been faced with challenges such as inadequate equipment and shortage of funds. School closure was implemented barely three weeks after detecting the index case, but the resumption of terminal classes has been announced recently. The Nigerian government implemented restrictions on gatherings involving up to 11 people after three weeks following the detection of the index case of COVID-19. The lack of enforcement and supervision of gatherings and public events made many individuals disregard the restriction measures. Lockdowns on religious gatherings and public events have been recently eased nationwide, and regulatory measures have been put in place. The Nigerian government implemented bans on international travel from all countries, especially high-risk countries. However, the existence of porous borders limited success, which could have been obtained from the travel ban.

Conclusion: COVID-19 mitigation measures should be implemented and reinforced as required nationwide and get provided the needed support.

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