Nigeria has eased restrictions in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States, marking the reopening of Africa’s biggest economy after five weeks of lockdown.
President Muhammadu Buhari had eased the lockdown in a 25 minutes broadcast to Nigerians on Monday 27 April, 2020.
Meanwhile, the government said the stay-at-home order in place since March 30 in Abuja and the states of Lagos and Ogun would be lifted gradually over a six-week period.
Businesses have been allowed to reopen provided they decontaminate their offices, adopt safety protocols such as social distancing and use of hand sanitizer and hand washing.
Schools and places of worship remain closed; restaurants can only operate on a takeaway basis, while all cultural events have been cancelled.
So far, Nigeria has recorded 2,558 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus with 87 deaths and four hundred recoveries since recording its first case in February.