By DENNIS EREZI

National Universities Commission (NUC) on Friday ordered the closure of all universities in Nigeria to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

“As part of the measures to contain and prevent the spread of the coronavirus (covid-19) throughout the country, approval has been granted for the closure of all schools,” NUC’s deputy executive secretary Suleiman-Ramon Yusuf said in a circular.

Yusuf said the school closure will commence from Monday, March 23, 2020, and will last for a period of one month.

12 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Government on Thursday, March 19, 2020, ordered the closure of all the 104 Unity Schools in the country from Thursday, March 26, 2020, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu in a statement by the ministry’s spokesman Ben Goong said all the principals of the Unity Colleges should fast track the on-going second term examinations and close shop until further notice.

Adamu said the management of all the Unity Colleges should immediately activate the necessary emergency procedures and processes such as the provision of alcohol-based sanitizers and handwashing facilities among others.

He said that students should strictly adhere to the principles and best practices of good hygiene.

Adamu also directed the Principals to immediately report any suspicious case to the nearest health authorities, emphasising that nothing should be taken for granted at this delicate time of the global pandemic.

Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Enugu, Delta, Ekiti, Rivers and other states have also ordered a temporary closure of schools for the same reason.

Nigeria’s cases of coronavirus rose to 12 on Thursday, March 19, 2020, after four new cases were confirmed by Lagos State health commissioner Akin Abayomi. (The Guardian)