By Martin Cole-
Nigerian schools are to reopen fully on October 12, after 6 months of school closures .
The Nigerian education minister on Friday made the announcement, stating that a decline in the virus was evident.
The country shut down schools in March, during the heights of the pandemic, but has waited a lot longer than other countries to resume academic sessions. Britain and the U.S reopened schools in September with tight Covid rules in place, but Nigeria has treaded a lot more cautiously despite its relatively lower rates of infections and deaths.
West Africa’s most populous country suffers from a poor infrastructure , affecting its medical facilities, has been fearful of its health service being overwhelmed, given its very limited capacity.
Last month, the Federal government allowed a partial reopening of schools for graduating students as they moved to ease measures imposed in the wake of the pandemic.
The number of new daily infections, which peaked at an average of 700 in July and August, have come down to 200, Education minister Adamu Adamu said.
In light of this decline, Adamu told reporters in the country’s capital of Abuja that “all 104 Unity Colleges” could reopen.
The government also directed states and private schools to work out the modalities for reopening, advising them to comply with COVID-19 safety and health guidelines.
“Let me warn that any school owner that does not comply with these guidelines and an outbreak occurs in the school due to negligence, risks closure,” Adamu said.
The wearing of face masks has been made compulsory for Nigeria’s population of 300 million, where breach of the rules can be met with punishment more severe than any court ruling. The government has also advised citizens to maintain social distancing and continue washing hands with soap or sanitisers.
At present 59,001 people have been infected by the virus, and 1,112 lives lost, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, but the figures could be more in a country where people who die are not always recorded, let alone the cause of death established.
Parents have struggled to keep their children motivated during school closures, with many taking up the challenge of blending home schooling with their own professional commitments. Other parents have had to find tutors for their children, but good tutors in Nigeria charge high prices.
Other arrangements for virtual learning was made for disheartened Nigerian pupils, but have been largely inefficient. News of academic resumption will come as a relief to many students who simply want to get on with their lives.
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