Nigeria to Ban China and Others From the Country As Fight Against COVID-19 Intensifies

The Federal Government on Monday said it would be banning citizens from some countries from gaining entry into Nigeria as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus and to ensure safety at Nigerian airports and the country in general.

This was disclosed on Monday, July 13, by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, while speaking at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.

The minister said this was another reason why the government had not approved the resumption of commercial international flights in and out of Nigeria. He added that the operators in the sector had wanted to fully open the airspace to local and international flights but safety must be given priority when making such decisions.

Sirika said,

“On the question about when we are beginning international travels, certainly you are very aware that so many countries had placed ban on countries that we cannot go even from Nigeria. Also Nigeria, of course, will place ban on other countries that cannot come in here, because everyone is trying to keep safe.”

“These and many other reasons will make us to be cautious, to study some more and to liaise with all the stakeholders and decide when we will open for international flights.”

China and US could be among the countries considering the spike of confirmed cases they experience.