Coronavirus: Nigerian government orders closure of schools | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
19th March 2020
The Nigerian federal government has ordered the closure of all the 104 Unity Schools in the country from March 26 as a proactive step aimed at preventing the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, who gave the order, said all the principals of the Unity Colleges should fast track the on-going second term examinations and close shop until further notice.
This closure was announced in a statement Ben Goong, Director, Press and Public Relations in Abuja, on Thursday.
The Minister said the management of all the Unity Colleges should immediately activate the necessary emergency procedures and processes such as the provision of alcohol based sanitizers and hand washing facilities among others.
He said that students should strictly adhere to the principles and best practices of good hygiene.
He also directed the principals to immediately report any suspicious case to the nearest health authorities, emphasising that nothing should be taken for granted at this delicate time of the global pandemic.
In a similar development, various state governments have directed the closure of schools as part of measures to curtail the spread of Coronavirus.
Lagos, Ogun, Anambra and Enugu states have joined nine states in northern Nigeria to direct the closure of schools from Friday.
In separate statements issued on Thursday, the governments urged parents to ensure social distancing at homes and ensure the protection of children while they are at home.
The governments also issued similar directives to religious centres to limit public gatherings as there are fears that the virus might have spread than it is believed to be at the moment.