Nigeria News

Bauchi, 08 April 2020 - “We are empowered and ready to engage in COVID-19 surveillance and contact tracing,” says Abubakar Suleiman, one of 205 disease surveillance officers originally trained by WHO to identify outbreaks of polio across six states in northeast Nigeria. Across the country, Polio health staff and infrastructure are rapidly being repurposed towards the COVID-19 response, which includes identifying suspect COVID-19 cases, and tracing all potential contacts to contain its rapid spread.  

Abuja, 7 April 2020 – He turned up with flu-like symptoms at a medical centre in Ogun state in the southwest of Nigeria. Dr Amara Allison, who was on duty, examined the patient and ordered that he be isolated immediately. She had just diagnosed Nigeria’s first COVID-19 patient. Along with four health workers and 35 other people who had been in contact with the country’s index case, Dr Allison was placed on a 14-day quarantine. She recounts her experience staying indoors for a fortnight. 

Being quarantined is quite kaleidoscopic.

Lagos, 4 April, 2020 - When the Nigerian Government announced the first confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) case in the country on the morning of February 27th, Dr Rosemary Onyibe was ready to report for duty.

Dr Onyibe, who has worked with the Polio Eradication Initiative for more than 10 years, is the South West Nigeria Zonal Coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO) Polio eradication programme that also supported response to Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in 2014. 

Maiduguri, 28 March, 2020 - “The pains of the death of my first baby is still fresh in my nerve,” says Malam Shawulu, a 29-year old farmer in Gwoza. “Or can I ever forget the pains that my wife experienced at home even before delivering the baby who died few hours later? Although, it was her first experience, it was terrifying. 

Abuja, March 24 2020 - Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, during a Press briefing to commemorate the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, also emphasized the need to swiftly contain the spread of COVID-19 virus in the country.

Maiduguri, 21 March 2020 - “The vulnerability of population in Borno state coupled with the confirmation of outbreaks of COVID-19 in other parts of Nigeria, has necessitated the setting up of a special task force to step up and expand the spectrum of prevention and control activities in the state,” says Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, the  Governor of Borno State. 

Maiduguri, 16 March 2020 - “Sometimes, I feel disadvantaged. Sometimes, I feel threatened. But at all times, I am motivated by the fact that being a woman and rendering healthcare services to humanity spur me to greater heights,” says Binta, a community health extension worker in Kwaya Kusar, Borno state. “In my five years of working experience with the hard-to-reach team, this has become my daily mantra and greatest source of motivation” she added.

Abuja- March 16, 2020 - “No child or individual should be without access to life-saving vaccines and primary health care services,” says Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Abuja, 16 March 2020 – The African region completes a critical step towards wild polio eradication as the independent commission to decide on the African Region’s wild poliovirus-free status has concluded its final field visit to Nigeria, after conducting critical review and analysis to verify the draft documentation attesting to the country’s polio-free status.