TheNewsGuru

Tag: travellers

  • INSECURITY! Gunmen reportedly kidnap 10 travellers in Ondo

    INSECURITY! Gunmen reportedly kidnap 10 travellers in Ondo

    No fewer than ten passengers have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen along the Owo-Ipele-Benin Highway in Ondo State.

    Confirming the incident, the state police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, stated that seven persons were kidnapped by the assailants.

    Sources in Akure, the Ondo State capital, revealed that the travellers were returning from a South-South state and heading to Akure when the gunmen struck.

    Their commercial vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside, prompting other drivers to raise the alarm.

    Odunlami assured the public that further details would be provided as investigations continue.

    Meanwhile, it was gathered that the kidnappers have contacted the families of the victims and are demanding ransom for their release.

  • Just in: Finally, abducted travellers on Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway regain freedom

    Just in: Finally, abducted travellers on Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway regain freedom

    The Ogun State Police Command on Wednesday said that four abducted travellers on the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway on Sunday have regained freedom.

    The Spokesman for the state command, SP Omolola Odutola disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

    Odutola said those rescued along Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by the anti-kidnapping team of the state police command included one Mr Ola, and three Indian nationals.

    She said, “One Mr Ola, Pujan, and two other Indians names yet unknown have regained their freedom along Ogere inward Lagos Ibadan expressway. Efforts ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects”

    The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, on Monday had ordered the anti-kidnapping unit to launch a manhunt against the hoodlums who attacked and kidnapped the travellers.

    The gunmen were said to have ambushed the travellers between Sagamu Area Command of the Nigeria Police and Ilisan township.

    According to the Chairman of Ilisan Development Council, Wemmy Osude, said some other victims were taken into the bush by the hoodlums.

  • Nigerian insurers association plans accident insurance cover for travellers

    Nigerian insurers association plans accident insurance cover for travellers

    The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has unveiled plans to partner with the Federal Government, for an accident insurance cover designed to protect Nigerians on transit.

    During the association’s 52nd Annual General Meeting held in Lagos state, the Director-General of NIA Yetunde Ilori, announced the collaboration, adding that the initiative aims to reduce untimely deaths and make insurance compulsory for all passengers while on the move.

    “The Nigerian Insurers Association and Global Sight Services are working with the Nigerian government, through the Federal Road Safety Corp on group personal accident for all passengers in transit,” she said.

    Chairman of the NIA Segun Omosehin, noted that despite the country’s economic challenges, insurance companies have continued to fulfill their responsibilities as financial intermediators and business restorers, in line with their mandate.

    Omosehin said member companies’ volume of business written surged from the N569.1bn recorded in 2021, to approximately N726.2bn in 2022, marking a remarkable increase of 33.9 per cent.

    He added that the NIA was proactively collaborating with the National Insurance Commission and other key stakeholders in the financial services and technology sectors to drive insurance business growth and elevate its contribution to the national GDP.

    The association is optimistic that these strategic initiatives will boost insurance penetration and density in the country.

     

  • FRSC issues traffic alert for travellers on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    FRSC issues traffic alert for travellers on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday issued traffic advisory for travellers using the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to explore alternative way due to a road traffic crash along the route.

    The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Bisi Kazeem, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    Kazeem said that crash involving a tanker occurred in the early hours of Sunday under the Ibafo pedestrian bridge on the outward Lagos section of the expressway.

    He said that FRSC officers and some security agencies had been on top of the situation since the occurrence of the crash.

    He added that the contents of the fallen vehicle had been successfully trans-loaded into another one while men of the Ogun State Fire Service had proceeded to refill their water tank.

    “Unfortunately, some inpatient drivers who choose to drive against the flow of traffic from all available exit points have done so, thereby causing traffic jams.

    “This is however, not only for the outward Lagos section where the RTC occurred alone but also, the inward Lagos section as well.

    “All road users going into and out of Lagos are therefore advised to explore alternative routes.

    “Such routes include Ikorodu through Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode, and Epe for Lagos bound vehicles, ” he said.

    He advised some to ply Abeokuta through Sagamu Interchange as well for their own good.

  • Kidnapping: Travellers suffer in gridlock as Edo communities barricade Benin-Lagos highway

    Kidnapping: Travellers suffer in gridlock as Edo communities barricade Benin-Lagos highway

    Ten communities of Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo barricaded the Lagos-Benin Highway on Wednesday to protest incessant attacks by herdsmen.

    Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) joined in the protest which lasted for several hours and led to a gridlock on the highway.

    The communities lamented that the rampaging herdsmen often destroyed their farmlands, evicted them forcefully from their ancestral homes and killed their loved ones.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that protesters came from communities such as Odiguetue, Ofintebe, Igolo, Okokuo, Abumwenre I and Abumwenre II, Obarenren, Uhiere, Uyimo I and Uyimo II to join in the barricade.

    Speaking for the communities and for the CSOs, Mr Osagie Obayuwana, a community leader said they were worried about looming crisis brewing in the various communities and orchestrated by armed herdsmen.

    He said urgent steps were needed to be put in place to check the activities of the herders before it snowballed into full blown crisis in Edo.

    “We want the whole world to know the experience our people have been made to go through for quite some time now.

    “We are zeroing in on Ovia North East communities; about 10 communities have been under siege for some time now.

    “Farmers have been prevented from going to their farms; another planting season is running out; they have been sentenced to hunger, farmers and their families and this has an implication for the larger society.

    “It is one of the reasons the price of food is rising beyond the reach of even those in the middle class.

    “So far, we have not seen any serious efforts to address this issue.

    “Our people have gone to various relevant government offices to complain, but there had not been any response.

    “Right now, the matter is degenerating to an extent that people are being driven out of their villages.

    “We don’t want the Benue and Plateau experience where armed herdsmen drive people away from their communities, change the names of the communities and start to occupy the houses to be replicated in Edo.

    “We don’t want that,’’ he said.

    Mr Osazee Edigin, a representative of Edo State Civil Society Organisations decried the level of insecurity in Edo communities, and noted that it had gone from bad to worse.

    “We are here to support these communities that have been ravaged and sacked by herdsmen.

    “We have seen the high level of insecurity in the state, and we want the state government and law enforcement agencies to rescue the people.

    “We are here to amplify the voices of these locals so that the state government can intervene in this.

    “If we don’t do it, we are going to have scarcity of food and more victims.

    “We urge government to rise to the occasion and protect lives and property.

    “The government should step in. When there is no peace in the land, life will not flourish and the economy will go down,’’ he said.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Mr James Chu, addressed the protesters and appealed for calm assuring that efforts were being made to address the situation.

    Chu represented the Commissioner of Police in Edo, Mr Abutu Yaro, to calm the protesters.

    “Machineries have been put in place to curtail the excesses of armed herdsmen in the various communities in the state.

    “The commissioner of police shares with you in this pain. We are all on the same page and that is the reason I am here to talk to you.

    “There are critical strategies that are in place to ensure that the excesses of these herdsmen, disturbing our villages are monitored and equally checked and stopped.

    “I assure you that the police are not resting on this issue. We shall work hands- in-gloves with the communities to ensure the essence of this gathering,’’ Chu said.

  • Gunmen ambush, kidnap 70 travellers along Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Highway

    Gunmen ambush, kidnap 70 travellers along Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Highway

    Over 70 travellers have been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road on Wednesday.

    According to reports, the incident happened around Udawa village after Buruku in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

    According to an eyewitness account, the vehicles conveying the travellers, mainly traders, were attacked by a large number of gunmen in the morning. The attackers later took them away into the forest.

    But authorities of the Kaduna State Police Command said they rescued 48 of the kidnapped victims.

    The spokesman of the command, Mohammed Jalige said operatives of the Buruku Divisional Police station who were escorting passengers along the road, came under attack by an unspecified number of gunmen who opened fire on the moving vehicles.

    He explained that the police operatives successfully repelled the attack through superior firepower before rescuing 48 of the passengers.

    According to him, there was no casualty on the part of the police operatives and the attackers, adding that the rescued victims were in good health and later continued their journey.

  • Travellers’ Misery and Nigeria’s Slot War With UAE – Azu Ishiekwene

    Azu Ishiekwene

    It’s not been a merry run up to Christmas for many Nigerian travellers. It all started with Canada, Saudi Arabia, and then the UK, red-listing Nigeria (and 10 other African countries) for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in spite of relatively low reported cases.

     

    If there were any remaining doubts about COVID-19 racism, these countries shed it and showed the world they could not help wearing bigotry on their sleeve. Countries that were rightly opposed to labelling COVID-19 the “China virus”, were quick to target Africa, which is not the original source of the new variant, for detecting it among in-bound travellers and quickly reporting it.

     

    It was a moment when, as Dakuku Peterside put it in his column, the virus not only infected politics, it also infected any pretences to common sense. The red list wrecked the travel plans of many families, but the worst was yet to come. In a worsening of an already fraught slot-and-frequency war on Monday, the Nigerian aviation authorities announced the restriction of Emirates flights into Nigeria from the present 21 frequencies to once a week, limiting it to a single Abuja slot.

     

    According to the aviation authorities, the restriction was in retaliation for the decision of the UAE authorities, which it accused of unilaterally restricting flights for Air Peace, the Nigerian carrier, from three agreed in the winter to one. Even though the UAE denied, claiming that the fault was with Air Peace for abandoning its slots in Sharjah, Nigeria stood its ground and travellers, mostly Nigerians, bore the brunt.

     

    According to one report, Nigerians who had boarded flights to the Emirates even on other airlines were deplaned, hundreds of passengers on scheduled flights stranded, and hundreds more forced to cancel.

     

    In a leaked audio, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister Hadi Sirikaexplained that he was imposing the restriction on Emirates airlines (Emirates and Etihad) with a heavy heart, especially at this time of the year, but that patriotism and the national pride of 200 million people demanded nothing less. It was not a retaliation, the minister said. Under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UAE, it is called reciprocity.

     

    For at least eight months this year, the UAE and the Nigerian authorities have been locked in a dog fight over COVID-19 protocols, with Emirates announcing suspension of flights one minute and lifting it the next. And now, the slot/frequency brawl upstages all previous sore points.

     

    In the midst of the ruins of shattered travel plans caused by the latest disruption, there are still a number of Nigerian travellers who are prepared to endure the fallouts, out of a genuine sense of frustration that there must come a time when enough is enough. That time did not start with the current dispute. It started when the Nigerian elite replaced Switzerland and London with Dubai as the new destination not just for leisure, but also for stolen wealth.

     

    In a 2020 report by Matthew Page published on the Carnegie Foundation website, the Centre for Advanced Defense Studies carried out an investigation in 2016, which linked 800 properties in Dubai worth about N146 billion ($400 million) or the equivalent of nearly two-thirds of the Nigerian Army’s annual budget, to Nigerian politicians.

     

    No country whose elite steals this way and hides the money in another country, much less a country that it is in dispute with, should expect to be taken seriously. They know where the skeletons are buried. Rightly, too, they assume that if Nigeria had its house in order it would not come to the negotiating table ready to accept a deal less than one-third of what it is getting.

     

    There are very many areas where Nigeria ought to have said enough long ago, and aviation is one of them. Even though the flight time between London-Heathrow and Accra and London-Heathrow and Lagos is approximately the same, for example, for many years, the cost of flying from Lagos, not to mention the hassle at destination, has been roughly $250 more for a round trip economy ticket, than the cost of flying from Accra. Foreign airlines are happy to land and refuel in Kotoka International Airport and scrape any stray dollars they can find in the neighbourhood from there, than fly into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

     

    Many Nigerian travellers route their UK flights – and increasingly other international flights – through Accra. And while the UAE and the Nigerian aviation authorities traded blows, the Benin Republic also became another gateway for desperate Nigerian travellers! Even within Nigeria, the price difference for a round trip economy ticket charged by foreign airlines could be $1,200 higher in Abuja than in Lagos.

     

    That’s how utterly shambolic aviation experience has become for a country that boasts of being not only Africa’s largest economy, but also one of the world’s most obsessively jet-set populations.

     

    The problem didn’t start today. In its heyday, the management of Arik Air complained to Nigeria’s aviation authorities that it was unfair to give British Airways 14 flights into Nigeria – with seven into Lagos and seven into Abuja, apart from the frequencies enjoyed by Virgin Atlantic – while Arik Air to got only seven into London-Heathrow for which it was paying about $40,000 weekly. That, of course, was after the airline vehemently rejected the Gatwick option.

     

    The matter was never completely settled. After a bitter and complicated back-and-forth about slot and destination rules, the British authorities passed the complaint to the London-Heathrow authorities. British Airways, whose Nigeria service was being threatened, offered BMI’s London-Heathrow slots to calm Arik Air. In the end, however, issues around aircraft type, lack of will by the Nigerian aviation authorities, and Nigerians’ own appetite for all-things-oyibo, killed the effort.

     

    Until recently, local airlines eyeing international routes bore the brunt of arbitrary and punitive charges, poor infrastructure, incompetent support services and corrupt officials who just don’t understand that the airline business is a jealous and marginal one.

     

    Where major international carriers like Emirates Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, South Africa Airways and others get massive government funding because their countries regard the business as a vital part of their strategic plan, Nigeria not only abandons operators to their fate, the authorities also do everything to worsen their misery.

     

    But let’s leave our sordid history and penchant for self-immolation for a moment. How long will Nigeria survive on the fresh supply of testosterone from Monday’s retaliatory action by the aviation ministry, which some think may have forced UAE to review its position two days later?

     

    BASA is an agreement between countries. But while governments or aviation authorities do the paperwork including frequency allocation, airports assign slots. Slots are assigned based on two major criteria: air traffic capacity and airport infrastructure.

     

    Although authorities in a number of developed countries sometimes leave both frequency and slot details to slot committees, it is at the negotiation stage of BASA that serious countries insist on frequencies and slots. The negotiations are usually led by seasoned diplomats, to ensure that their countries get the best deal, while aviators provide technical and logistical support. In Nigerian deals, the dog wags the tail.

     

    Also, the point of these negotiations is not only about commercial flights. Forward thinking frequency and slot allocation can also be used to develop trade and boost cargo freight, especially in countries with severely limited road, rail and maritime connections. So, if Nigeria is negotiating seven frequencies with UAE, for example, it could at the point of the BASA signing, insist on designating one or two slots for cargo destinations, based on the country’s strategic commercial trade objectives and growth opportunities.

     

    It’s not for nothing that the US and Europe, the bastions of free market, have refused to sign the Open Skies agreement. Aviation is a vital asset and serious governments know when they must intervene to protect the market. Nigeria’s current practice of excluding frequencies and slots in BASA agreements leaves us completely at the mercy of the bigger players.

     

    I perfectly understand the frustration of the aviation minister, who is perhaps one of the most outstanding in Buhari’s government. But there was really no need to throw tantrums in the dispute with the UAE. In digging ourselves out of the hole we created in the last several decades, we must avoid the low, populist road, however tempting it could be.

     

    The aviation authorities could have asked the slot allocation committee, if it has one, to reallocate Emirates and Etihad slots to Enugu, Kaduna, Port Harcourt or Kano on grounds that Abuja and Lagos have exceeded their performance capacity.

     

    Emiratis coming into Nigeria for serious business will probably use private, not commercial airliners laden with Christmas travellers. And one more thing: it’s not enough for the government to get more slots. Slots and frequencies are assets, not ego massage commodities. Government and beneficiaries have to justify performance at a certain minimum threshold, failing which the slots would be auctioned and we’ll be back to square one.

     

    This is where the aviation minister must now earn his brownie points.

     

    Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

     

     

     

  • COVID-19: FG releases new guidelines for travellers coming into Nigeria

    COVID-19: FG releases new guidelines for travellers coming into Nigeria

    The federal government of Nigeria has released updated Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) guidelines for travellers coming into the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the updated guidelines were released by the presidential steering committee on COVID-19 under the office of the Secretary to the Government.

    With the updated guidelines, airlines shall be fined USD 3,500 per traveller for failure to comply with any of the preboarding requirements.

    See details of the updated guidelines below:

    I. GUIDELINES FOR IN-BOUND PASSENGERS

    A. PRE-DEPARTURE FROM COUNTRY OF EXIT:

    I. Pre-Boarding:

    STEP 1 – Travelers MUST perform a COVID-19 PCR test not more than 2 days (48 hours) before boarding/departure. PCR tests done more than 48 hours before departure are not valid and persons will not be allowed to board. Rapid antigen or antibody test are not acceptable; only PCR tests can be used for this purpose. Test validity commences from the time of sample collection. For Travelers with multiple connections before arrival in Nigeria, the PCR test must be valid within 48 hours of boarding from the first point of departure. Travelers must bring along an electronic or hard copy of their negative COVID19 PCR test for presentation at the departure airport and upon arrival in Nigeria. A record of their vaccination status will also be required on arrival in Nigeria.

    STEP 2 – All intending Travelers (including diplomats and children less than 10 years old) MUST register via an online national travel portal (Nigeria International Travel Portal – https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) and proceed to fill in the online Health Declaration/ Self-Reporting form located on the portal. They should ensure that the information/contact details provided on the form are correct and verifiable. Travelers must provide valid phone numbers, residential addresses, and functional e-mails where they can be contacted. Travelers must also inform Port Health officials on arrival of any change in their health status since completion of the Health Declaration/Self-Reporting Form.

    STEP 3 – After filling the online Health Declaration/Self-Reporting Form, Travelers will be directed to upload their negative COVID-19 PCR test on to the portal. Only children less than 10 years old are exempted from uploading a pre-arrival negative COVID-19 PCR test result. Once this is successfully done, Travelers will proceed to the payment section of the travel portal. Only Children less than 10 years are exempted from payment for the repeat test in Nigeria. Travelers are advised to still bring along an electronic or hard copy of their negative COVID-19 PCR test for presentation at the airport.

    STEP 4 – For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated Travelers:

    On reaching the payment section of the portal, Travelers will be requested to select their preferred Laboratory/Sample Collection Centre based on where they will be self-isolating for the period of 7-days in Nigeria. A list of accredited private laboratory providers/Sample Collection Centres across the country are available on the payment platform. The next stage is to choose a bank payment gateway and then proceed to pay for the Day 2 (arrival day + 1 day) and Day 7 (arrival day + 6 days) in-country COVID19 PCR tests. Please note that Travelers paying in Naira should use cards issued by a Nigerian bank.

    For fully vaccinated Travelers: On reaching the payment section of the portal, Travelers will be requested to select their preferred Laboratory/Sample Collection Centre based on where they will be located 2 days after arrival in the country for the Day 2 test (arrival day + 1 day). A list of accredited private laboratory providers/Sample Collection Centres across the country are available on the payment platform. The next stage is to choose a bank payment gateway and then proceed to pay for the Day 2 in-country COVID-19 PCR test. A record of their vaccination status will also be required on arrival in Nigeria.

    STEP 5 – Following successful payment, Travelers should download the Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR Code using the “Get Permit to Travel” button visible at the top right corner of the portal, save and print the form for presentation at the point of boarding. The Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR code will have a “PAID” label if payment is successful and “UNPAID” label if payment had not gone through yet or is unsuccessful. Any passenger with an “UNPAID’ label will not be allowed to travel. A copy of the Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code will also be sent to the email address provided by the traveller.

    II. Boarding

    1. Prior to boarding for Nigeria, Travelers MUST present TWO documents at their point of departure to be allowed to board.

    a. A negative COVID-19 PCR test done within 2 days (48 hours) of departure. Airlines have been directed not to board Travelers with non-PCR COVID-19 tests (such as antigen or antibody tests), a positive COVID-19 PCR test result, or tests performed beyond 48 hours of boarding; and

    b. Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code – generated from the Nigeria International Travel Portal on completion of a health questionnaire, uploading of a negative COVID-19 PCR result and schedule of PCR tests on Days 2 and 7 on arrival in Nigeria. Travelers failing to show a Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code will not be allowed to board.

    2. Airlines that board Travelers without any of the required documents (a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not more than 48 hours prior to boarding and a Permit to Travel Certificate/QR code, shall be sanctioned as follows:

    a. Travelers, who are non-Nigerians, will be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at cost to the airline

    b. Travelers who are Nigerians or holders of permanent resident permit will be allowed entry but subjected to the procedure outlined in Section D below. In addition, Travelers arriving with forged (fake) COVID-19 PCR results will be escorted to a designated quarantine facility (government approved hotel) for a mandatory quarantine for a period of 7 days at expense to the traveller and will be prosecuted.

    c. Airlines shall be fined USD 3,500 per traveller for failure to comply with any of the preboarding requirements.

    d. Airlines who consistently fail to comply with the above requirements may be banned from coming to Nigeria.

    3. At the time of boarding, Travelers will be required to undergo temperature screening and asked about COVID-19 symptoms. Travelers with temperature >38C and other COVID-19 related signs and symptoms shall not be allowed to board the flight.

    B. ON ARRIVAL IN NIGERIA

    All Travelers are required to strictly adhere to instructions given by Port Health Services at the arrival terminal. Travelers who fails to adhere to instructions will be sanctioned by relevant security personnel.

    All Travelers arriving in Nigeria will be required to:

    1. Go through the routine Port Health screening and present electronic or print-out evidence of preboarding COVID-19 PCR test, Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR Code; and Vaccination Certificate (where applicable); and

    2. Present their international passports for clearance through the Nigerian Immigration Service System’s Migrants Identification Data Analysis System (MIDAS).

    For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated in-bound Travelers:

    i. Proceed on mandatory 7 days self-isolation/quarantine in their selected in-country destination address. Travelers are to avoid physical interaction with friends, family members, colleagues, and other members of the public during the period of self-isolation. Travelers should check their emails/text messages regularly for updates regarding the arrangement for their repeat COVID-19 PCR test from the laboratory of their choice. During this period the traveller may be contacted by the COVID-19 Response team to ascertain state of selfisolation, Days 2 & 7 testing appointment and health status

    ii. Show-up at the laboratory/sample collection centres on the 2nd and 7th day of arrival. Samples will be taken, and a COVID-19 PCR test done. The selected private laboratory will send a reminder text message, email, or phone call to the traveller a day before the appointment date.

    iii. Persons who test negative for COVID-19 after 7 days of self-isolation/quarantine will be allowed to exit self-isolation on receipt of their result.

    For fully vaccinated in-bound Travelers:

    Show-up at the laboratory/sample collection centres on the 2nd day of arrival. Samples will be taken, and a COVID-19 PCR test done. The selected private laboratory will send a reminder text message, email, or phone call to the traveller a day before the appointment date

    C. NOTE:

    a. Travelers who fails to show up at the sample collection centres on Days – 2 and 7 of arrival (as applicable) will be sent text reminders and their details forwarded to the State Public Health Department teams and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for active follow-up.

    b. Travelers who fails to show up for testing will have travel restrictions placed on their passports for at least 6 months and will not be able to travel abroad during this period. Non-Nigerian passport holders will have their visas revoked and will be deported from the country.

    c. Test results will be provided within 24 hours and the State Public Health Departments & NCDC will be informed; accordingly, if test result is not received after 24hrs, the traveller may contact the private Laboratory for his/her test result.

    d. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated persons who test negative for COVID-19 after 7 days shall end self-isolation on receipt of a negative test result but must continue to self-monitor for symptoms until Day 14; and MUST continue to observe Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention measures (e.g., wearing face mask, maintaining social distance, regular washing of hands and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers);

    e. Fully vaccinated persons who test negative for COVID-19 after the post-arrival Day 2 test MUST continue to observe Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention measures (e.g., wearing face mask, maintaining social distance, regular washing of hands and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers);

    f. Travelers reporting or developing symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival in Nigeria, or during screening will not be allowed to self-isolate and will be placed in institutional quarantine; and

    g. Persons who test positive for COVID-19 after the post-arrival Days 2 and 7 test (as applicable) shall be managed based on national guidelines for COVID-19 treatment.

    D. PROCEDURE FOR TRAVELERS ARRIVING WITHOUT A VALID PCR RESULT

    Any traveller arriving in Nigeria without a valid COVID-19 PCR result (i.e., no COVID-19 PCR test result, a forged COVID-19 PCR test result or COVID-19 antigen or antibody test result) will be subjected to the following measures:

    1. If holding foreign passport and non-resident in Nigeria, the traveller will be denied entry into the country and returned to the point of embarkation at cost to the airline.

    2. For Nigerians and foreign passport holders with residency rights:

    a. Port Health Services will screen the traveller to include a temperature check and review of health questionnaire to establish infectivity risk;

    b. Traveller will be escorted by Port Health Services and security personnel to a designated quarantine facility (government approved hotel) for a mandatory quarantine for a period of 7 days at expense to the traveller;

    c. Traveller’s passport will be collected by relevant authorities and will not be released to him/her until after successful completion of mandatory quarantine period; and

    d. A COVID-19 PCR test will be conducted by a designated private laboratory within 24 hours of arrival at the quarantine facility at expense to the traveller. If the test result is Positive for COVID-19, the traveller will be transferred to an isolation facility and managed according to National treatment guidelines. If test result is negative, passenger will CONTINUE with mandatory isolation at the quarantine facility until a satisfactory Day-7 COVID-19 PCR test is done.

    II. GUIDELINES FOR OUTBOUND PASSENGERS

    All passengers travelling out of Nigeria are required to provide:

    a. Evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination, or

    b. A negative COVID-19 PCR test done no longer than 48 hours before departure.

    TNG reports the new protocol was signed by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who is also the Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

    The protocol comes into effect from 12:01 am on Sunday, 5th December, 2021.

  • Omicron: Why Nigeria will not make ‘hasty’ decisions like UK, Canada, others did – Health Minister

    Omicron: Why Nigeria will not make ‘hasty’ decisions like UK, Canada, others did – Health Minister

    The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has expressed disappointment over the United Kingdom government’s placement of Nigeria on its red list following the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

    “We were not very happy when six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were placed on a red list and the WHO also advised against putting each on the red list.

    “From what we know about the COVID-19, there are many ways to manage it, and besides, not much is still known about the Omicron variant. We know, for example, that there have been no fatalities.

    “There have also been no reports of very severe illness. Actually, the rationale for being so hasty in putting countries on the red list is not something that is very helpful.”

    According to the minister who spoke on Sunday on a monitored Channels Television programme, the move was ill-advised as he noted that it would have multiple impacts on commerce, and disrupt activities during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

    “It is going to disrupt commerce,” he added. It is going to disrupt family reunions.”

    He explained that while Nigeria has detected the COVID-19 virus on travellers from the UK, the cases have not been confirmed to be the Omicron variant.

    While reiterating that the placement of countries on the red list will not help in the global fight against the pandemic, Ehanire said Nigeria is anticipating the fourth wave of the disease.

    “If every country were going to put other countries on the ban list, very soon you would have a large number of countries on your red list,” the minister said.

    “So, I do believe there are other ways of going about it. We in Nigeria do not regard banning flights and movements of people as particularly helpful and supportive.”

    The UK’s move, which came a few days after Nigeria detected the new strain, followed a similar decision by the Canadian authorities.

    “Foreign nationals who have transited or stayed in these 10 countries cannot enter Canada if they have been in those countries in the last two weeks,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a press conference.

    Aside from Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi were the other countries recently added to Canada’s travel ban list.

  • Omicron: Canada bans travellers from Nigeria, two other African countries

    Omicron: Canada bans travellers from Nigeria, two other African countries

    Canada on Tuesday banned travellers from Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi over fears of the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, bringing to 10 the number of African countries targeted by Ottawa.

    “Foreign nationals who have transited or stayed in these 10 countries cannot enter Canada if they have been in those countries in the last two weeks,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a press conference.

    The measure takes effect on Wednesday, the government said.

    Any Canadians or permanent residents who have been in any of the 10 countries will need to quarantine on arrival and take a COVID test.

    Duclos also said “in the coming days,” all air travelers arriving from outside Canada, apart from the United States, will now need to be tested for Covid-19 at their point of entry, and isolated until their test results are available.

    First reported to the World Health Organization less than a week ago after being detected in southern Africa earlier in November, the Omicron variant has appeared in well over a dozen countries, stoking global fears about a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than five million people and savaged economies worldwide.

    “The pandemic is not over,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra added. “Travel measures could change at any moment.”

    Canada on Friday banned entry to all travelers from seven southern African countries: Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

    And on Sunday, Canada confirmed it had detected its first cases of the new Omicron strain, in two people who had traveled recently to Nigeria.

    The WHO warned on Tuesday that travel bans will not prevent the spread of the new variant after some 50 countries put similar measures in place.

    Canada has reported a total of 1,791,902 coronavirus cases and 29,681 deaths.