Category: Special Report

With the lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states and the subsequent nation-wide curfew imposed by the Federal Government, the Coronavirus has prevented social life to have a breather, writes Assistant Entertainment Editor GBENGA BADA

From New York to London, Paris to Berlin, Johannesburg to Lagos, the world’s social life has suffered a huge blow as a result of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which has ravaged the world.

After a riveting 2019 that ended with a superb Christmas and New Year festivities across the world, showbiz impresarios, nightclub owners, cinema operators and other individuals made projections for 2020.

Sadly, a handful of these projections have remained but a dream due to the widespread of Coronavirus across the globe.

Just like other countries that are battling to curb the spread of the novel virus, Nigeria’s social life has come to its knees. Covid-19 has prevented the  social life to have a breather with two bastions -social distancing and lockdown.

With every arm of the world’s social life shattered like a windowpane, business owners in the entertainment world and other related sectors have been counting their losses. From the music and film industries to wedding, event management and the nightlife industries, Covid-19’s effect can be felt with a bang.

Musicians are beginning to count their losses after six weeks of no action. Tour dates, concerts and music festivals have been postponed indefinitely, leaving them with devotion to live performances on social media such as Instagram and Facebook. The cancelation of these events also has had an untoward effect on their fortune.

“No money for now… no show in sight abeg .. We all dey here together,” Davido said to a fan on Twitter when asked for a giveaway. “In like two to three months we go know the people that saved money.”

The rich musician had earlier released a terse statement on the need to cut short his North America tour, saying: “I’m saddened to halt what has been a fantastic sold-out tour so far, but postponing is the right thing to do. The health and safety of my fans and members of staff are most paramount and nothing else matters. Be safe and see you all soon. God be with us all.”

In the same manner, singer Tiwa Savage lamented how the pandemic has affected her tour plans after the release of her much-anticipated album.

“I had already finished my album and it was supposed to be released in the first week of the second quarter, but the pandemic has stalled it. I will be putting out a single in the next two or three weeks. The album will still be released, but I will share the dates later,” the United Kingdom (UK) trained Savage said, adding: “I had 45 dates and festivals lined up after my album release, but all these have  been canceled as a result of the Covid-19 and it has affected my pocket.”

Nevertheless, this is not to say that music stars are entirely not making any income or are not working.

During the lockdown, Teni the Entertainer, released an Elongated Play entitled: “The Quarantine EP”, while Peruzzi, MI, AQ, Mayorkun, Tiwa Savage, Davido and others recorded and released singles and EPs. As for other incomes, the musicians are still raking a lot of money both in  Naira and Dollars from streaming platforms that offer their songs to fans across the globe at a cost.

After the Federal Government in concert with Lagos State government imposed a general lockdown, which was relaxed six weeks after, the film industry appeared as one of the most hit in economic terms. The industry was literally shutdown with many actors resorting to the social media platform.

The first segment of the film industry to be hit was the cinema. Cinema were houses were forced to shut down operations across the state. These Cinema houses such as Silverbird, Genesis and Filmhouse,  under the aegis of the Cinemas Exhibitors Association of Nigeria unanimously agreed to shut down operations in Lagos, Abuja at first and other states of the federation much later. Their losses are unimaginable as they trickled down to loss of producers and eventually, actors and production crews.

As a result of the closure, actors, directors, producers and production crews working on different sets across the country were made to stop work. The various guilds in the industry – Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), TAMPAN and ITPAN released strict orders and placed embargo on any production activity until further notice.

Towing the same line, Multichoice Nigeria suspended all of its productions  and wrapped up the first edition of the reality TV show, Ultimate Love, a week earlier than scheduled.

The entertainment and media outfit went ahead to release up to N400 million as financial reprieves to producers, actors and technical talents, who currently have contracts with the organisation. Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Ugbe said the palliative was to cushion the effect of the lockdown, which has disrupted creative activities.

Worse hit is Funke Akindele-Bello, who was filming episodes of her series, which included Jenifa’s Diary, My Siblings & I, Industreets, and Omo Ghetto: The Saga. The film producer and popular actor had to down tools and wait as the pandemic refuses to ease its firm grip on the world.

Equally affected was Toyin Abraham, who had worked assiduously to complete her much-anticipated film, Alakada: The Party Planner, ahead of a release in March 2020. Abraham had hit the production sets a few months after welcoming her first child to work on the project only to meet a stumbling block in Covid-19 few weeks to the film’s premiere.

However, the situation is not totally a bad, at least in terms of finances, especially for all the actors and producers. This is because producers and studios with films on popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Iroko TV and SceneOne TV still rake in funds from rights on their contents. This is similar to music practitioners.

Read Also: Hope as race for Coronavirus vaccine hots up

If the music and film industries cried and are still crying foul from the massive hit on box offices and concerts, the Nightlife appeared to have suffered more.

The night clubs have been so badly hit by the pandemic so much so that their existence and experience are gradually fading away from the memories of night crawlers whose lifestyle is patronising upscale bars and nightclubs in the Lagos metropolis.

Chibuike Okechukwu and Hon. Shina Peller are two of the biggest night club owners in Lagos. Okechukwu, widely known and referred to as Cubana Chief Priest, runs Cubana Nightclubs on Victoria Island and Ikeja, while Peller runs the famous Quilox on Victoria Island.

Both nightlife kings have the pandemic to blame for the closure of their businesses and itching to return to business. The nightclubs, which boast of a turnover of over N8 million per night, have undoubtedly, been hit harder.

Five weeks ago, Quilox announced the closure of business, saying it intended to bounce back on a date to be announced later.

The statement reads: “Sadly, the activities of Club Quilox Season 7 have come to an abrupt end due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Nigeria. The management of Africa’s biggest nightlife brand decided to halt all its activities, thereby taking the customary yearly break earlier than expected.

“Club Quilox is concerned about the number of infected people and the rapid rate of transmission, especially the high probability of community spread in the country. More so, large gatherings make people more susceptible to this disease.”

Another player in the hospitality industry, Wale Oluwaleimu, co-owner of House 30 Lounge and Hotel, noted that his business was shut down for seven weeks until the lockdown was relaxed.

He said: “We were the first set of businesses that were affected by the lockdown. The Lagos State Police Commissioner drove around Ikeja looking for Bars and Nightclubs that were still running on the first day of the lockdown. So, we had to comply.”

In compliance with the guidelines by the Lagos State government, Oluwaleimu said sinks, soap and water have been put in place outside the compound to ensure that customers coming to pick up stuffs will wash their hands. He also reiterated that members of staff are protected with facemask and gloves, which are disposed of daily.

However, the pandemic might have started another trend in the industry. Though the outbreak may have disrupted once lively night spots around the country, innovative Disc Jockeys (DJs) have keyed in to going virtual with their performances so that night crawlers and fun seekers do not miss out.

The virtual club trend is another example of how Covid-19 has altered daily life in ways many never imagined until social distancing was imposed to curb the spread of the virus.

Worthy of mention is the strict enforcement of compliance to the lockdown guidelines by the Lagos State government in the last six weeks. This has left even decrepit local pubs in bad shape. Aside from erring pubs owners and hotels, which are less than one per cent of the industry, socialites have found it hard to either hobnob or exchange greetings by shaking hands.

From SBLive Band to Akin Shuga and Eboni Live Band, the story is the same. Nevertheless, music bands still connect with their fans via Instagram/Facebook live performances. Masters of Ceremony (MCs) and comedians are also some of those practitioners that are badly affected.

The colourless Easter celebration badly affected Nigerian comedians’ and Masters of Ceremonies’ (MCs’) incomes, as they lost shows and events because of Covid-19.

For instance, Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st cancelled the 10th anniversary of his comedy and music show in Ibadan after investing over N10 million. The same with his colleague, I Go Die, who was also planning to host the 10th anniversary of his show. I Go Die sunk several millions into the planning, but lost all to the novel Covid-19.

Also, Ayo AY Makun would not forget in a hurry how he missed another chance to rake in millions of naira as the pandemic prevented him from holding his popular AY Live on Easter Sunday.

The rapid spread of the Coronavirus globally has taken a toll on the global economy, but non-oil export is soaring and providing a good return on investment, JULIANA AGBO writes

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria is witnessing an increasing demand for its agricultural products.

With the increase in demand on non-oil export, the country’s over-reliance on crude oil as main revenue earner will take another turn with agriculture, which will generally provide a good return on investment.

While the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has succeeded in sustaining exports, it has also assured that it will continue its efforts in addressing the logistical challenges facing exporters as well as promoting diversification of Nigeria’s agricultural export base.

The recent inauguration of a British Airways Cargo through a freight and forwarding company, Free On Board Global Logistics Limited, for exports to the United Kingdom, European Union Countries and the United States, will drive Nigeria’s agricultural development and expand its export.

The initiative in collaboration with the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Export Action Group (NEXAG) is already serving as a relief to exporters who must have been pondering how to convey their products to these destinations.

FOB Logistics Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Adebakin said over 60 tonnes of Nigerian non-perishable foods, such as yam, garri, fish and vegetables have been moved to London.

“Upon arrival in London, we are providing transhipment services across Europe to North America as well, and the interest is growing every day. For every flight, we are exceeding the performance of previous flight,” he said.

Adebakin, who noted that the firm has been supported by the NEPC and the Nigeria Export forum (NEF), reiterated the need to look inward as individuals, corporate entities and as a government to create the enabling environments for agriculture to thrive.

“With the support, we have gotten from NEPC, we see a change in the curve and we are seeing a change in the attitude.

“The only way we can support ourselves and the federal government of Nigeria is for us to look inwards as individuals, corporate entities and as a government to create the enabling environments.

“The Nigerian agricultural sector is replete with diverse opportunities. Being able to effectively harness these opportunities will drive agricultural development and expand agricultural export,” he added.

He went on: “COVID-19 has demonstrated to us that the Nigerian government cannot do everything. It is impossible. This effort has to be private-sector driven. And this is why we have made it a point of duty.

“COVID-19 has brought it home that we can no longer continue to depend on oil and people are taking the initiative to get involved in this Nigeria non-oil export drive.”

Analysing the challenges confronting Nigerian exporters, Adebakin said they lacked representation at the country of designation where they have sent their goods to, adding that they find themselves in a situation where they have invested all their money and somebody out there is selling their own.

“Currently, we only have four international cargo flights coming into Nigeria and this is subnormal for a nation of 200million people and these cargo flights are practically 99 per cent COVID-19 related materials they are bringing in,” he said.

Adebakin added that some products that were urgent need to be at the designation within three days, saying, “they move them by air, for items like crops we are moving those by sea.”

While noting that there is a huge demand in soya beans, he called for the removal of freight cost being payable in advance.

He said: “We are seeing a huge demand in soya beans and we are moving them by sea and that our value proposition is for NEPC and Nigeria Export Action Group would let us remove the shackle of the cost of freight being payable in advance because a lot of people will get involved in export if they know that the cost of freight will be payable upon the arrival of the shipment which is what we have proposed to NEPC.

“If we have the government backing, our partners globally are willing for us to sign an understanding with NEPC that we will carry freight out of Nigeria into the country of destination and it is upon the arrival of the Nigeria non-oil export that has been shipped from Nigeria that payment for freight will be due.

“This will relieve a lot of Nigerians, who are thinking on the fringes, let’s get involved in this export drive. If we can take that away, that will be a game-changer for Nigeria from the business of tomorrow and business of today.

“If you go to the supermarket now, you will see that prices are increasing. Most of the products selling at high cost are locally made products.

“This is a wake-up call and we are committed with our network globally and our cargo services align with offices in over 3,700 cities of the world in over 180 countries and they are all supporting our drive to provide not only custom clearance on the arrival of the shipment at the destination but they are also providing warehousing facilities, distribution facility and they have agreed to support Nigeria exporters to remit back their money.”

An exporter, Mr. Bamidele Ayemibo, commended the initiative saying that it has helped in shipments.

Ayemibo called for synergy between government and individuals to support the non-oil export drive.

“We have a lot of potential export growth across a range of key food commodities but we need to address key barriers if we are going to succeed.

“The country has the potential to generate a huge amount of money from the export of agricultural goods annually, this will greatly contribute to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.

Furthermore, the NEPC in its ‘Agric sector Economic Impact Assessment’ carried out recently, said Nigeria’s agricultural exports can be expanded in the long-term and this diversification will help avoid the ill effects of commodity price shocks.

Offering a critical look at three agricultural products where Nigeria has the potential to expand its exports, NEPC illustrated why a wider export portfolio was crucial.

“In 2019, Nigeria exports of ginger amounted to $10.4 million, which is by no means insignificant. However, in a market of close to $1 billion, there is evident space for Nigeria to increase its exports,” NEPC stated.

NEPC also reported that the price of Nigerian ginger has risen with the outbreak of the pandemic.

“This, in part, could be explained by a rise in demand for products with high nutritional value such as ginger. Nigeria would benefit from scaling up the production of ginger to take advantage of this opportunity.”

With over 50,000 Coronavirus cases and more than 2,000 deaths, Africa is in the throes of containing the spread of the rampaging virus. Unfortunately, Nigeria lags in the continent in terms of number of tests but leads in Coronavirus-related deaths, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

Of Africa’s 54 countries, Lesotho stands out where others stand in this season of Coronavirus. Almost three months after Egypt became the first country in the continent to confirm a Coronavirus case, Lesotho remains the only country in Africa that has kept a clean slate for not having even a single case of the deadly infection, with all others battling to contain the community spread of the virus. Lesotho has since eased restrictions implemented as part of a two-week lockdown that put businesses, public services, state companies and other activities on hold.

As at the time of filing this report, the confirmed Coronavirus death toll in Africa stood at over 2,000, with over 51,000 confirmed infection cases and 17,590 recoveries. In a continent that is home to 1.2 billion people, the infection and fatality cases so far may not appear too bad, especially when compared with events in more advanced sections of the world where the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the novel Coronavirus is still dealing them a deadly blow. However, despite steadily rising infections in many parts of the world (3.8 million cases globally and still counting), it appears political and health authorities are not in the mood to throw up their hands in frustration.

Who is testing most and least in Africa?

Amid fears that the crises caused by the global pandemic may escalate, world leaders appear to be giving the fight against Coronavirus all it takes by racing to find a cure for a deadly disease that has claimed more than 265,000 lives in 212 countries and territories. Many experts have expressed fears that fragile healthcare infrastructure in many African countries could be overwhelmed in the face of severe outbreak of the disease. They hinged their worry on the continent’s inadequate healthcare systems, insufficient health workers, and paucity of modern equipment, poor funding as well as inefficient data transmission capabilities, among other problems afflicting Africa’s healthcare industry.

Like in other parts of the world, testing plays a major role in the response to the coronavirus in Africa, as it helps in understanding how far the disease has spread. Interestingly, some of Africa’s smaller nations have achieved significantly better rates of testing than their larger neighbours. For example, Mauritius and Djibouti have both achieved high rates of testing per capita. Ghana has also been praised for its level of testing, which its government said will help contain the spread of the virus after the lockdown.

Data is not available in some countries on the continent, such as Eritrea and Algeria; while some suffer poor testing capacity. For example, Tanzania has released information intermittently, sometimes just giving out the numbers of people who have recovered from the virus. Another obstacle to mass testing is non-availability of chemical reagents needed to process tests, since African countries don’t produce their reagents and are forced to compete for limited global supplies. Thus, acquiring testing kits in a competitive global market, getting tests to where they need to be and setting up the labs to process samples is not a simple task for countries with less economic clout and weaker healthcare systems. There are also other barriers to increasing testing, including the lockdown measures to restrict movement, which can make it difficult for people to get to test sites.

According to the latest figures, more than 2,000 people have so far died from COVID-19 in Africa, while over 16,315 have recovered. A quick summary shows that North Africa continues to be the hardest hit of the five geographical regions in Africa with 18,500 cases, followed by West 13,400, Southern 8,100, East 4,800 and Central Africa with 4,600 cases. In terms of fatalities, North Africa has the highest figure of 1,100, followed by West with 320, Central 184, Southern 163 and Eastern 142. South Africa, a country of 58 million people, has the highest number of cases with confirmed 7,600, while Egypt (with 100 million people) has also recorded 7,200 cases so far.

However, in terms of death tolls, Egypt has lost 452 souls out of 7,200 cases, while South Africa has counted 148 with over 7,000 confirmed cases. Algeria has the highest number of deaths in North Africa with 470, while Morocco recorded 181. In West Africa, Nigeria has so far seen 103 deaths out of 3,000 plus cases, Burkina Faso 48, Niger 38, and Mali 32. In Central Africa, Cameroon recorded 108 deaths and the Democratic Republic of Congo registered 35; while in East Africa, Sudan saw 45 deaths and Somalia reported 38.

Fears are rife that Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, is not testing enough. However, the government insists it is focusing on “clusters” of positive cases and scaling up its testing capacity nationwide. Since Nigeria recorded its index case on February 27, how to expand testing capacity and getting isolation facilities in place are issues on the front burner of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. The goal is to test 5,000 daily, but this has not been achieved in a country of over 200 million people.

According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the country currently has 18 molecular testing laboratories. However, it is an open secret the country is facing enormous challenges to contain the spread of the disease, as efforts to ramp up tests are being undermined by scarcity of test kits. In a tweet recently, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, NCDC Director-General, disclosed that the country is desperately in need of more ribonucleic acid COVID-19 test kits – a situation he attributed to expanded testing for the virus. “We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing. Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer). Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc,” he said.

Since the country recorded its index case in Lagos in February, the virus has swept its way into virtually all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Nigeria has over 3,145 confirmed cases, with 534 recovered and 103 deaths. Lagos, the country’s economic capital, remains the epicentre of the contagious disease with over 1,308 cases, 358 recoveries and 30 deaths. Kano, which has been in the news lately for worrying number of ‘mysterious’ deaths, comes second with over 427 confirmed cases and 13 deaths. The FCT comes next with over 316 confirmed cases and 14 deaths.

As global shortages of diagnostic kits and laboratory consumables increasingly impacts the optimal functionality of the laboratory system in Nigeria and across the world, NCDC has adopted an adaptive testing strategy to ensure the most vulnerable persons, those at elevated risk, and those with super spreading potential have access to testing. Amid increasing public criticisms that the country is not responding to demands of those desperately in need testing services, many public figures have complained that Nigeria is carrying out fewer testing that necessary – leaving many embattled citizens in dire straits.

Sadly, Nigeria, with a far higher population, tests fewer than many smaller countries in Africa. With over 3,000 confirmed cases and a population of over 200 million, Nigeria has done slightly above 10,061 tests since it recorded its index case on February 27. Yet, Ghana, with a population of 30.9 million people, has carried out over 100,622 tests. Same goes for Djibouti, with 1 a population of 985,433, which has conducted more than 11,741 tests; or Kenya, with a population of 53.5 million, which has done more than 17,492 tests. Even South Africa, with a 59 million population, has conducted more than 161,000 tests; while Egypt, with a population of 101.9 million, has done more than 90,000 tests.

Unlike Nigeria, South Africa has pursued a relatively aggressive testing strategy, and has managed over 200,000 tests among its 58 million population. A combination of mass screening, targeted testing and a draconian lockdown to control the early stages of a Coronavirus outbreak that threatened to overwhelm the country if left unchecked in its densely populated townships is gradually helping the country. The magic wand is mass screening, which has helped to stem the coronavirus tide in South Africa, as the country draws heavily on experience garnered while battling tuberculosis and HIV by using community health workers to identify cases.

In the past month, President Cyril Ramaphosa has mobilised 28,000 health workers to screen over 7 million people, more than one in 10 South Africans. Known as active case finding, the use of community health workers to identify patients with symptoms draws heavily on South Africa’s experience battling tuberculosis and HIV. It differs from the approach of most European governments that have relied on citizens coming forward for tests and then tracing their contacts. The country has increased its level of testing to more than 10,000 tests a day. All the while the number of positive tests has remained consistent at about 3 per cent, a sign that while infections are growing they are not outpacing efforts to find them.

The South African approach to date has relied heavily on an army of community health workers; whereas other countries hire thousands of people to conduct screening and contract tracing. According to one estimate, while the United States would require at least 100,000 contact tracers at a cost of $3.6bn, South Africa already had teams in place, detecting tuberculosis, a national killer, and bringing drugs to the millions of South Africans living with HIV. So far, about 3 per cent of tests referred from community screening have come back positive, similar to the proportion of positive results among patients tested at health centres. It means government’s community health workers have successfully identified many cases that might have otherwise slipped through the net.

Although the screening programme has been extensive, wide variations exist in the approach and the number of tests administered in each of the country’s nine provinces. The Western Cape, which contains Cape Town, for example, has tested a higher percentage of its population than other parts of the country and overtaken Gauteng, the most populous region, as the province with the most active infections. About 6 per cent of tests have returned a positive result in Western Cape, compared with the 3 per cent average nationally. For the tests administered in the province on Monday that figure jumped to 13 per cent. The province has detected an especially large rise in cases in the sprawling township of Khayelitsha, just outside Cape Town.

While it is true that community screening cannot identify asymptomatic cases, health experts say it can point to emerging clusters, and help later contact tracing to find asymptomatic carriers. South Africa has also taken a different approach to contact tracing than many western countries, which are largely placing their faith in voluntary smartphone apps. South African covid-19 testing profile showed that the private sector, which tests 3,161 daily, has carried out a total of 123,580 tests; while the public sector, which tests 11,900 daily, has done 122,167 tests so far. This means the country, which does 15,061 tests daily, has done a total of 245,747.

This has attracted applause from far and wide. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has lauded South Africa’s aggressive strategy but has warned that Africa overall needs to test more. “Incredible, that much testing for that return,” Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organisation’s emergency operations, said recently. But the strategy faces a critical test. South Africa, which imposed one of the world’s strictest lockdowns before it had recorded a single death, has begun a phased lifting of the most severe restrictions.

The country has had more than 7,200 cases and 130 deaths, and in some townships testing is now picking up a faster spread of the virus. Tough measures, including a nightly curfew, remain in force, and public frustration is rising, particularly after allegations of police violence. But there are warnings that South Africa is still early in its epidemic, which means it will have to keep up these screening, testing and tracing efforts for many months to come.

In Ghana, with over 2,719 cases, the government is trying to enforce its ‘no mask, no entry’ policy in all offices and public buildings. The case count, as of May 4, stood at 2,719 cases with 294 recoveries and 18 deaths. Ghana remains West Africa’s second most infected behind Nigeria who have 3,000-plus cases. According to Ghana Health Service, the country has a 0.66 per cent mortality rate and a 2.1 per cent infection rate based on the 130,000 samples done so far. The country is noted for its rigorous contact tracing, enhanced testing and mandatory quarantine. Ghana has expanded testing beyond Accra and Kumasi, with every region getting ready to start conducting COVID-19 tests by end of May. Ghana has been releasing figures every other day for the past few weeks – unlike most African countries where tallies are released daily either by the disease control outfit of via other government channels.

Persons without face masks are being prevented by police from accessing the country’s capital. The ‘no mask no entry’ operation is in line with enforcement of COVID-19 directives issued by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and Ministry of Health. The wearing of masks in public was made compulsory days after the lifting of a lockdown by President Akufo-Addo. The CEO of the Food and Drugs Authority, Delese Darko, also gave guidelines for production of face/nose masks, stressing that more locally produced products are being given priority. Greater Accra was first to impose use of face masks days after a lockdown was lifted. “Indeed Ghana is the only other country in Africa to have conducted more than 60,000 tests and we are ranked number one in Africa in administering of tests per million people. The decision to impose restrictions on movement was backed by the data at hand and our next course of action is backed by data and by science,” the president said.

In just a month, Tanzania went from having only 20 Coronavirus cases recorded to 480 cases, an alarming increase which has put the country with the highest number of cases in East Africa. However, the country’s president, John Magufuli, is convinced the number may be exaggerated due to technical hiccups with the imported testing kits. Magufuli, who holds a doctorate in Chemistry, said the testers had randomly obtained several non-human samples on animals and fruits which included a sheep, a goat and a pawpaw and the results came out positive. The samples were given human names and ages and were submitted to the country’s National Referral Laboratory to test for Coronavirus without the lab technicians knowing the true identity of the samples.

This prompted Magufuli to believe some people who were tested positive for COVID-19 might not have contracted the novel virus after all. He has ordered a probe into the country’s testing protocols, which suggested possible interference by unnamed saboteurs. But Tanzania has long been criticised by public health experts for enabling a more relaxed approach to the pandemic compared to the strict lockdowns and restrictions in neighbouring East African countries, with authorities asking Tanzanians to pray away the virus and left places of worship open since the COVID-19 outbreak began. The country has now put its trust on a herbal treatment touted as a cure for COVID-19 by Madagascar, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that there was no proof of any cure.

Nigeria is working far behind the time in the global digital age, which commenced in 2006. Many opportunities have passed by without the country looking likely to actualise this dream. In this piece, our Correspondents VINCENT IKUOMOLA and JULIANA AGBO look at the need for renewed efforts in the country’s digitisations drive.

The digital broadcasting plan involves 116 countries mainly in Africa and Europe for frequency band with switch over date of June 17, 2015 while some countries had till June 17, 2020.

The idea was conceived in 2006 with support of all the members of International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It was estimated that about 40 million households own a television set in Nigeria, of which around 3.3 million are pay-television subscribers using satellite and digital satellite services, while majority of people watch free-to-air analogue television, thereby making the country one of the highest terrestrial television viewership in sub-Saharan Africa.

DigiTeam Nigeria, the body established by the government to coordinate the digital switch over in the country went on to set a revised target of January, 2015 for the digital migration to be completed across the country. The country’s original target date was June, 2012.

DigiTeam Nigeria, which comprises government and industry representatives was saddled with the responsibility of developing the country’s standard for manufacturing set-top boxes to receive digital signals, as well as for ensuring that adequate information is provided to viewers and that all switch over problems experienced by viewers are addressed.

Thereafter, two broadcasting licences have been awarded to deliver digital broadcasting services. The first was awarded to NTA Star Times, a joint venture between the Nigeria Television Authority and the pay-television operator Star Times, which has been designated as the first national digital signal carrier for the country.

The second licence was awarded to Pinnacle Communications in July, 2014. DigiTeam Nigeria has indicated that the release of a third licence will be reviewed as the market develops. The second licensee will have to set up a separate entity that would be licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission if it wishes to provide content over its network. A single national digital multiplexing licence using the Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB?T2) technology was advertised earlier in 2014.

In June 2014, the pilot campaign for digital migration was launched in the city of Jos, though date for the switch over was not announced. The essence of the campaign was to raise awareness in the Tin City.

But the country showed no political will to actualise this and so for about 10 years, it failed to take any meaningful action and consequently missed the June 17, 2015 set date to join the digital broadcasting world.

However, after series of missed opportunities to join the global train of digitalisation, history was made on April 30, 2016, in Jos, Plateau State, when the Federal Government launched the pilot phase of the digital transmission project that kick-started the digitisation process.

Recall that representatives from the 193 member states of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) met in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 17, 2006, a statement was issued, resulting in a historic treaty signed by members, and would usher in a wave of digital broadcasting for 119 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia – to begin with. 2015, which was set as the terminal or deadline date, seemed too far off.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, launched the pilot phase in Jos, while President Muhammadu Buhari anchored the Abuja launch in December the same year.

President Buhari, who was represented by Vice-President Osinbajo, revealed that the local industry is already experiencing a boost from the new vista in the digital economy, with several indigenous companies now manufacturing Set-Top-Boxes, as he was told that many of the set-top-boxes we are using for this Abuja switch over are produced in Nigeria.

He said digitisation will create jobs in the area of content and software development; provide the platform for film producers and musicians to release their productions directly to households, which will substantially cut off piracy.

Ultimately, the Digital Switch Over (DSO) projects – a process where Nigerians can see more television and radio channels with higher sound and picture quality, can become one of the major achievements of President Buhari-led administration, as it will herald Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT), but, sadly it has been hindered by controversies which have stalled the process.

However, since the launch of the DSO in Jos, Abuja, Kaduna, Ilorin, Osun and Enugu, the whole process has been stalled with several controversies. Like the initial court issue that slowed down the process at the beginning, the process was stuck again!

Amidst hullabaloos that led to a series of petitions against the erstwhile Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Modibbo Kawu, over alleged corruption, after several months of being investigated on allegations of corruption, he was suspended on February 14, 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The suspension is coming months after the anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and miscellaneous Offences Commission (ICPC), urged the Federal Government to suspend Kawu, and 32 other public officers/civil servants undergoing corruption trial at the time.  He was alleged to have made illegal payment to Pinnacle Communications. The case is already in court.

Kawu and two others, Dipo Onifade and the late Lucky Omonuwa were arraigned on May 2 over alleged N2.5 billion fraud by the ICPC. The trios are being prosecuted on a 12-count charge for allegedly conspiring with one another, using the position of Kawu to confer a corrupt advantage.

The Federal Government, under the Digital Switch Over programme, had earlier approved the payment of N2.5 billion as “Seed Grant” to Pinnacle Communications Limited owned by the late Omonuwa.

Since Prof. Armstrong Idachaba assumed duty as the Acting Director-General of NBC, many believe that the process would be faster.

A source close to NBC said Prof. Idachaba has been on the project since the beginning.

“He is a technocrat and I believe he is in a better position to deliver on this. Though funds have been a major challenge to DSO,” the source said.

In a chat with reporters, Prof. Idachaba said the agency will be issuing a definite statement on the roll-out of the DSO process in the next three weeks.

He said despite the setbacks, the Federal Government is determined to continue with the roll-out.

“The commission and the Federal Government remain committed to the realisation of the digital transition because of its vast benefits to the vast number of Nigerians,” he said.

The need to fast-track DSO process

On the urgent need to ensure that the DSO is back on track to compete among the comity of nations, the Group Managing Director of Gospell Digital Technology Limited, and Chairman Set Top Box Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (STBMAN), Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa urged the Federal Government to fast-track the nation’s digitisation process.

Ohuabunwa decried that the digitisation process has been delayed for too long. He noted that President Buhari has done well by suspending Kawu.

He noted that a series of meetings were held with Kawu to set up a timetable for the production of STBs, yet action was not expedited on the resolution of the meeting.

“Two years now, the whole digitisation process has been stalled. The Federal Government must ensure that action is expedited on the DSO process. Two years is too long.

“Since the last launch in Enugu, nothing significant has been done on DSO. Kawu earlier organise a bid but none of the companies met up the requirement for the manufacturing of the STBs but efforts were made to still bring them on board.

“There is an urgent need for a well-planned schedule and timetable of the digitisation process. The Federal Government has done well by asking Kawu to step aside; however, there is a need for the Federal Government to push the digitisation process with a strong political will.

“We have been running the company and paying our members of staff for two years now, yet nothing concrete has been done in that regard. We are running at a loss. We also collected loans from the bank and we are running at a loss even though NBC guaranteed the loan.

“A total of one million boxes were produced in our Calabar factory but we are being owed instead. Nothing is forthcoming.

“Areon Technology of Korea, a STB manufacturing firm in partnership with Gospell agreed to produce several millions of boxes to boost the process, yet nothing is being achieved.”

The Koreans are threatening to take the Federal Government through NBC to court to recoup the money invested in the business which is about $24 million.

Basically, after the switch from analogue to digital broadcasts is complete, analogue TVs will be incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box.

Consequently, a digital converter box – an electronic device that connects to an analogue television – must be used in order to receive digital broadcasts. In most climes, the government subsidises the purchase of such boxes for their citizens.

Since 2008, it has not been an easy journey for Nigeria to lead the Digital Switch on for Terrestrial television. Several efforts were made to realise the migration without success.

Nigeria had to move the date from 2015 to June 2017. This is 2020. With the prevailing circumstances which have surrounded the digitisation process, there is a need for more commitment on the part of the Federal Government and NBC to change the narratives as it is obvious that the country will most likely miss this year’s target.

The compromising attitudes of the law enforcement agents manning borders in Anambra State has resulted in it drafting civilians to complement their efforts, writes EMMA ELEKWA.

Following the influx of people and goods into Anambra State through formal and informal border routes, the state government recently resolved to strengthen enforcement of the border closures.

Among the measures included the posting of political appointees and youths to designated border locations to support enforcement actions by the police and other security agencies.

The civilians were equally posted to informal border points that are identified to be porous in various local communities with little presence of formal security operatives.

These measures may not be unconnected with concerns raised by relevant stakeholders over continued spate of alleged corrupt practices being displayed by the security personnel posted to the state’s boundaries.

Prominent among the stakeholders was the Commissioner for Transport, Christian Madubuko who regretted that such compromising behaviours have exposed the borders to all forms of security threats, including health risks as unwanted elements, including corpses, gained access to the state.

Madubuko wondered why people saddled with responsibilities of safeguarding the lives and property of the citizens would jettison their duties for selfish gains.

He described those involved in extorting money from motorists to allow them access to the state as worse than Coronavirus disease.

He said: “We were at Iseke and Amoka borders, in Ihiala Local Government Area. It was not encouraging at all. I can’t understand why people who are sent to man the borders have abandon their duties and started doing another thing altogether.

“At Iseke border, for example, some security men were fighting over illegal money they extorted from motorists with the vigilance group. That’s worrisome.

“The more worrisome is allowing corpses to come into the state. You don’t know which disease the corpse died from.

“The other day at the bridge head, corpses were carried from Lagos to Ebonyi State through the state and we caught them, and that was the fifth time we’ve got people who brought dead bodies from Lagos into the state and they passed through the borders. We asked them to go back to where they were coming from.

“I’m very disappointed in what I’ve seen. But we must do the right thing by handing them over to the appropriate authorities.

“We’re saying Coronavirus is deadly, but anyone who extorts money from another and allow the person into the state is worse than coronavirus.”

Another stakeholder who took a swipe on the security personnel was the National President, Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Chief Alex Onukwue who expressed disappointment over the increasing laxity of the security agencies to border protection.

He explained that the ineptitude of the security agencies informed government’s decision to draft civilians to assist in manning the borders.

He said: “The state government decided to add more personnel to the boundaries as a result of the increasing embarrassment we suffer in the hands of security men entrusted with the responsibility of manning the borders.

“People move from one state of the country to the other with impunity and thereby sabotaging efforts of government in protecting the state from the virus.

“It’s unfortunate that the state government was left with no option than to resort to drafting civilians and political appointees to assist the security agencies who have been found wanting in this expectation of boarders’ protection.”

On whether the presence of the civilians would not result in conflicts with the security personnel, the ASATU boss said “the measure will rather compel the security agents to talk to themselves that it was as a result of their inefficiency that warranted the government to inject more hands to assist them.

“If they become responsible to their duties, the civilians will be withdrawn. Government is not interested in sending civilians to work with the police, if not for the prevailing circumstances.

“I’m calling on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the hierarchy of security agencies in the country to talk to their men so that government’s efforts in protecting the citizens can make meaning.”

Meanwhile, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, has urged the political appointees and youths posted not to indulge in any kind of extortion and unwholesome conduct.

Chukwulobelu, in a statement, informed them that they were empowered to be firm in disallowing movement of unauthorised people, goods and services.

The statement read in part: “Following ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and observed continued influx of people into the state, especially through informal border routes thereby exposing the state to the risk of imported community spread of the virus, government has resolved to strengthen enforcement of the border closures by involving community efforts.

“In this wise, the following political appointees majorly Special Assistants to the Governor are hereby posted to designated border locations to support enforcement actions by the police and other security agents.

“Likewise, porous and informal border points identified in various local communities with little presence of formal security will henceforth be manned by the following youths who will help prevent any form of movement into the state from those locations.

Political appointees and youths so posted must not indulge in any kind of extortion and unwholesome conduct but are empowered to be firm in disallowing movement of unauthorised people, goods and services.

The SSG said the initiative by the government is purely to support existing and laudable efforts of the police and other agents and not to replace them.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no form of movement is to be allowed into the state through the informal border points at remote villages.

All those involved are to take note and be properly guided.

“Vigilance groups in all communities bordering the state are hereby fully activated to support nominated youths and law enforcement agents to enforce the border closures. Traditional rulers and Presidents-General of affected communities are to ensure follow up action.

“Henceforth, trucks and all vehicles conveying food and other essential goods must be searched to ensure they are not transporting human beings.

“Ambulances and vehicles conveying dead bodies are to be denied access until strict clarification on cause of death is confirmed by the state Ministry of Health and conveyed by the Commissioner of Health to the Commissioner of Police in respect of each deceased.”

Chukwulobelu further stated that independent monitoring teams have been set up to oversee the activities of the political appointees and youths posted as well as the general enforcement of the border closures.

Reacting to the security agencies’ parley with the political appointees, Managing Director, Anambra Traffic Management Agency (ATMA) Pat Obiefuna expressed satisfaction with the co-operation existing between the security agencies and the civilians recruited to assist them at the borders.

He said: “Governor Obiano decided to inject political appointees on border patrol to ensure enough monitoring because what one eye sees won’t confirm what exactly it is unless confirmed by another person.

“Even though I can’t say there are compromises among the security agents unless there’s formal report on that, I know that a lot of sanity has come with the new arrangement.

“It is, however, disappointing that despite restriction on inter-state movement; people still take advantage of the free movement within the state to commit all forms of crimes.

“Some go as far as using container to carry human beings, all in the guise they are carrying goods. This is to say the least, despicable.

“It’s painting a picture as if the government doesn’t love the people. That’s why they are carrying out the rigorous checks. But actually, it’s the other way around. It’s out of love the government has for the citizens that we’re thoroughly checking the borders.

“Besides, after declaring the index case negative, we want to maintain that status by ensuring there is no intruder from the borders into our state.”

He further allayed fears of any conflicts between the security agencies and the civilians, having undergone intensive briefing before recruitment.

“Before the civilians were recruited, they were briefed on their assignment as well as the security agencies that the appointees were only to play a supportive role.

“It’s not to witch-hunt. Instead, it’s synergy at work. Otherwise, you would have been hearing some other things. There’s that understanding,” Obiefuna added.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police, John Abang has warned officers and men of the Command to be civil to members of the public and also exercise restraint by avoiding use of extreme measures while enforcing the order.

Lockdown relaxation kicked off Monday in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) amidst stern warning for residents to obey new measures to keep them safe. ROBERT EGBE looks at the history of how pandemics resurged following lockdown violations around the world

The man and woman who became literary critic Ikhide Ikheloa’s parents, Mr O. Ikheloa and Miss C.I. Omosun, were in love.

But they were separated by a great distance – he in Benin, she on Lagos Island.

Courtship must have been cumbersome, so, they found another way: letters.

On August 27, 1957, Omosun sent hers by Air Mail from her 9, Pike Street residence to Ewu Catholic School, via Ubiaja, where Mr O. Ikheloa received his mails.

As Ikheloa revealed in an April 6 post on his Twitter handle, the letter didn’t just tell part of his parents’ love story, two years before he was born, it also chronicled a global health crisis that ravaged Nigeria 63 years ago: An Influenza pandemic,

“…It affected Nigeria greatly. My mother wrote about it in a love letter to my father,” Ikheloa, affectionately known as ‘Pa Ikhide’ on social media, tweeted.

New disease, old problem

The contents of the then Miss Omosun’s letter paints a grim picture of a health menace similar to what is, once again, the world’s new reality: Schools, businesses, religious centres shut, air, rail and sea travel suspended, movement restricted and everyone cowering indoors following the outbreak of the highly infectious coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

But even before the influenza pandemic of 1957, there was another one in 1918 touted as one of the most deadly in world history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with a gene of avian origin. It spread worldwide between 1918 and 1919 and killed at least 50 million.

According to the Public Record Office London, the influenza hit Lagos on September 14, 1918, four years after the Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by Lord Fredrick Lugard.

Lagos lost 1.5 per cent of its 81,941 population in the first two months.

Inhabitants around the seaports of Marina and Apapa, especially seamen working on ships docked on harbour ports were one of the first sets of people to be infected with this virus and it spread to the hinterland and most Lagos Island inhabitants.

Just like the current government is doing with COVID-19, the colonial government swung into action by creating different means of spreading information, educating people on how to best stay healthy during that period. House to house disinfection was also done.

Still, people from Lagos fled the infested town to other parts of the country. The virus spread to Abeokuta, Ibadan, Illorin, Bida, Jebba, Zaria, Kano, and Bauchi by train.

On October 14, 1918, the flu was detected in Onitsha, where a large number of people got infected and died.

By December 1918, it had spread all over the country. By mid-1919 the pandemic came to an end, as those who had been infected either died or developed immunity against the virus.

COVID-19: Dangerous new kid on the block

212 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances had been affected by the virus as at 8:30am on Sunday morning. There were 3,485,936 COVID-19 cases around the world, 244,803 were fatalities while 1,124,470 persons had recovered.

In Nigeria, there were 2,388 confirmed cases, 85 deaths and 385 recoveries since February 27, when the country’s index case, an Italian, was confirmed. But only 1,918 cases were still active.

Last Thursday, Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire said about 113 health workers in the country had tested positive for COVID-19 and had had to enter quarantine and seek treatment.

Lockdown relaxation

President Muhammadu Buhari declared a two-week lockdown of Lagos and Ogun states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja during his first address on the pandemic on March 29, 2020, to enable the country check the spread.

He addressed the nation again on April 12 and extended the lockdown by two weeks. But on April 27, he approved a ‘phased and gradual easing’ of lockdown measures in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun when he extended the lockdown by one week.

Beginning on Monday, a dusk-to-dawn curfew would remain and anyone out during the day will be required to don a face mask, among other measures.

Organisations like the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Sunday warned that the lockdown may have been lifted too soon.

But there is no global consensus on how lockdowns should be lifted.

Last Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) touted the benefits of COVID-19 restrictions.

Chief Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Michael J. Ryan said lockdowns helped suppress the spread of the disease by preventing its ability to find new victims.

But he also added that in lifting lockdowns, localities must look closely at their populations, considering how to protect their most vulnerable, and make decisions based on their specific context, said Ryan.

“We don’t know for sure which are the measures that will result in a successful exit strategy.”

What people going out must do

To protect people, the federal and state governments  put in place several measures. They include: mandatory use of non-medical face mask/covering for all persons while in public spaces. Latex hand gloves should not be worn except for specific medical purposes;

Mandatory provision of hand washing facilities/sanitisers in all public places, all interstate travel is prohibited except for essential travels & services, such as: transportation of agricultural products, petroleum products, relief items, goods, commodities related to the COVID-19 response and persons on essential duty.

Mass gathering of more than 20 people outside of a workplace is also prohibited. There will also be controlled access to markets and locations of economic activities.

Mandatory temperature checks will be conducted in public spaces, social distancing of 2 metres must be maintained between people in workplaces and other public spaces. The ban on all passenger flights and religious gatherings are still in effect.

How pandemics resurged after lockdown measures were violated or relaxed

Failure to keep to the government’s lockdown measures can be disastrous. History is replete with examples that Nigerians must simply learn from, otherwise they risk bringing disaster on themselves and others.

Already, lockdown violators are responsible for cases of the virus in nearly all parts of the country except Lagos, Ogun, Abuja and Benue.

Examples of pandemics worsened by inadvertent violations include: the Great plague of Marseille and the San Francisco flu of 1918 among others.

Great plague of Marseille

The Great Plague of Marseille was the last major outbreak of bubonic plague in Western Europe. Arriving in Marseille, France in 1720, the disease killed a total of 100,000 people: 50,000 in the city during the next two years and another 50,000 to the north in surrounding provinces and towns.

In 1720, a ship was quarantined at the port in Marseille because a strange infection was killing people on the ship.

The ship had left Sidon in Lebanon, picked up people at Tripoli, and Cyprus which already had infection outbreak before reaching Marseille.

But Deputy Mayor of Marseille lifted the quarantine to “help the economy”, and the plague ended up killing more than half of the city.

The government of Marseille felt the city could not afford to lose all the valuable goods on the ship as it would destroy the economy,

Some powerful businessmen led by the deputy mayor of Marseille (who was also the owner of the ship) convinced his friends in government to lift the quarantine. Some merchants needed the cotton and silk cargo on the ship to do business for the upcoming festival in Beaucaire.

The government was persuaded. But as it lifted the quarantine and moved the goods into the city of Marseille, they unknowingly moved in infected rats which then infected people.

Days later, the infection broke out in the whole of Marseille. People began dropping dead, until there were no more graves to bury them. Dead bodies littered the streets.

The French government built a wall to stop Marseille from infecting the rest of the country.

But it was late. 10,000 people from Marseille had already escaped into neighbouring cities and 50,000 people died outside of Marseille.

Spanish flu in San Francisco (1918)

Some 50 to 100 million people died in the 1918 influenza pandemic – numbers that surpass the death toll of World War One, which was being fought at the same time. The 1918 flu virus infected one in every three people on the planet.

But its effect on the U.S. city of San Francisco is worthy of mention. San Francisco had the 1918 flu under control, until it lifted the restrictions.

A local man who had returned to his home after a recent trip to Chicago brought the disease to the city.

Officials soon ordered everyone to wear face masks and banned public gatherings amid soaring Spanish Flu infections. The restrictions worked and the numbers of cases and fatalities fell within weeks.

By the end of October, San Francisco had experienced nearly 20,000 cases of influenza and over 1,000 deaths. Still, the situation had improved enough for the Board of Health to lift the various bans on November 16. Due to the high numbers of cases still being experienced in some areas, theatres there were kept closed for an additional week.

All across the city masks had to be worn by every patron of every theatre, and the order to wear masks had to be shown on screen before each performance. Hotels and restaurants could resume their musical entertainment, but no dancing was allowed. Schools did not re-open until November 25. In a double blow to children, the holiday break was shortened and the school day extended by 20 minutes in elementary schools and 45 minutes in high schools.

But after having been starved of most entertainment outlets for a month, San Franciscans packed the city’s theatres, movie houses, and sports arenas.

At noon on November 21, San Franciscans simultaneously removed their masks as a whistle-blow sounded across the city, the result of Mayor Rolph’s annulment of the ordinance the previous day.

But the flu rebounded some three weeks after that and led to a longer outbreak than the first one. The epidemic brought nearly 45,000 cases of influenza to San Francisco and killed over 3,000 of its residents in the fall of 1918 and the winter of 1919.

Dr. Oguntola Sapara

During plagues and disease outbreaks in pre-colonial Nigeria, people sought native medicine and other unorthodox means to cure these illnesses. Some worked while others worsened the situation. An example is the riddle of the smallpox epidemic in Epe in 1897, which was solved by the brilliant unorthodox approach by Dr. Oguntola Sapara Williams.

Epe, a town off the coast of Lagos, was hit by a smallpox epidemic in 1897.

The magnitude of the epidemic was severe and the death toll was more than the community had ever recorded from any disease.

Dr. Sapara, the first native appointed assistant surgeon, was posted to Epe to help. While there, Sapara suspected that local smallpox cult was responsible for worsening the health crisis,

The smallpox cult worshipped Sopona (the Yorùbá god of Smallpox) and the doctor joined it with the secret motive of understanding their operations and eventually terminating their activities.

Sapara found that the cult members who would take scrapings from skin rashes of actual smallpox cases and apply on the skin of uninfected persons, leading to more infections.

“In 1897 when I took charge of Epe district, the town of Epe was known as the hotbed of the small-pox epidemic. Finding that vaccination and other precautions seemed to fail, I joined the cult and having got into the mysteries, I summoned the small-pox priests together and threatened them with prosecution for disseminating the disease and used perchloride (sic) of mercury solutions. They left the town through disgust and since then, up till the time I left Epe, vaccination had scope for doing good work and then the town enjoyed immunity from smallpox, hitherto unknown”

One major aftermath of this situation was that the colonial government enacted the Witchcraft and Juju Ordinance in 1917 and made the worship of Sopona (the Yorùbá god of Smallpox) a crime punishable by fine and imprisonment.

What research shows

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers recently developed a new model of studying the spread of COVID-19 infections.

Applying publicly available data to machine learning, the researchers modelled what relaxing global lockdown rules could do to COVID-19 cases.

The model indicated that any immediate or near-term relaxation or reversal of quarantine measures currently in place would lead to an “exponential explosion” in the number of infections.

The report ‘Quantifying the effect of quarantine control in Covid-19 infectious spread using machine learning’ was published in early April.

Empirical evidence from several countries support the WHO warning and MIT research.

Swedish paper The Local reported on April 27 that during the week before Easter, Sweden recorded its highest number of deaths in the 21st century after controversially resisting Coronavirus lockdown measures.

2,505 people died in the week of April 6th-12th, equivalent to 358 deaths each day. The weekly figure was almost 150 more deaths than in Sweden’s second deadliest week of the century, which saw 2,364 people die during the first week of the year 2000.

On April 30, the Ghana Health Service reported 403 new cases in the country 10 days after President Nana Akufo-Addo eased a three-week lockdown in Accra and the city of Kumasi. The figure was a 24 percent increase.

On April 29, Eastern European nation Bosnia also reported its sharpest daily rise in new coronavirus infections last month after its two autonomous regions gradually eased lockdowns.