Nigerian Government Activates National Emergency Operation Centre, Pledges Support to States

The Federal Ministry of Health, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has activated a national Emergency Operations Centre at the highest level and is leading the national response. A National Rapid Response Team has been deployed to support affected State Governments with response activities.

This was disclosed in a public health advisory issued by NCDC to Nigerians on coronavirus disease. Currently, there are five laboratories in NCDC’s molecular laboratory network with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Nigeria has so far recorded a total of twelve cases, nine of which came under 24 hours: Five on the 18 March and four on the 19 March 2020.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, on 19 March 2020, at a press briefing in Lagos, confirmed four new cases of Coronavirus in Lagos, bringing the total confirmed cases in the state to eleven.

Earlier, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had disclosed that out of the five cases of 18 March, three arrived from the United States while two came in from the United Kingdom. Two of the three from the US are Nigerians, a mother, and a six-week-old baby. The third patient is an American national, who crossed the land border and becomes the first COVID-19 case not arriving by air. The two cases from the UK are Nigerians.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting the government of Nigeria in her response to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the government agency with the mandate to lead the prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases.