The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has humbled several economies of the world including those who parade themselves as World Powers. The UK has just plunged into recession following a long battle with the pandemic.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Africa, Nigeria, in a bid to salvage her economy, reopened the country for economic activities, despite the risk associated with the decision, that is, a surge in the figure of COVID-19 cases and possibly a higher fatality rate.
Despite being aware of this consequence, the Federal Government is poised to open-wide the aviation sector to allow for the resumption of international flights.
Recall that the Federal Government placed a ban on local and international flight after the pandemic took its toll on Africa’s most populated country and threatened the safety of her citizens.
At the end of August, however, the Federal Government is looking to open the sky to British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airline, and Air Peace for the commencement of commercial operations, while Lufthansa is also looking like a sure bet.
Meanwhile, the decision by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to allow international flight did not come out of sheer will. The illicit dealings at Nigeria’s land borders have become worrisome to the Federal Government as it was gathered that officials of the Republic of Benin are in the business of smuggling Nigerians into their country for 150 Dollars, from where they connects flights abroad.
Although Benin Republic’s Seme border is known to be a popular route through which smugglers smuggle cars, rice, frozen foods and other commodities, this recent development does not only tell the desperation of Nigerians as they bid to leave the country by whatever means available, it also echoes how porous the Nigerian land borders are and the failure of the men of the Nigerian Custom Service who are the key players in this development.
Also, the Federal Government, as part of efforts to save several establishments from the grapple of COVID-19, deemed it fit to open the airspace for commercial flights because several experts who run these establishments are foreign-based and have no access to their work space following the restriction of international flights as earlier announced by the Federal Government.
Many businesses have suffered due to the absence of the expertise of these individuals. Opening the nation’s airspace is one sure way of protecting what is left of sectors that are currently battling with the effect of COVID-19.
Furthermore, international students need ‘special’ consideration because they study oversea and do not have a passage to countries where they study, while those who take lectures in Nigeria cannot find their way in due to travelling restrictions put in place by the Federal Government.
Recall also that the outbreak of the pandemic forced several schools abroad to suspend academic activities while the Nigerian government also suspended academic activities as part of efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
In the meantime, there are concerns if Nigeria would not witness a spike in the figure of those infected by the virus if the airspace is opened to all and sundry. To avoid what could be termed a second wave of the spread of COVID-19, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, is debating on which of the airports they will install the testing machine for detecting infected person.
The PTF, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, is looking at installing the machine at either the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, or the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had, in June, unveiled the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine at the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), a campus of the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in Lagos to boost COVID-19 testing in the country.
The PCR machine was procured using part of the £661,000 UK-Aid funding the British government donated to the Nigeria branch of the World Health Organisation (WHO) this year.
Although it appears that the move by the Federal Government is for the greater good of the nation as it bids to save businesses and aid the progress of other individuals, danger lurks around the corner as Nigeria may witness a second wave in the spread of the virus which currently stands at 47,290, according to the data from the NCDC as of August 11, 2020.
The virus has ensured the passage to glory of notable Nigerians including Abba Kyari, the former Chief of Staff to t President Muhammadu Buhari; Former Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; Nigerian statesman and a federal minister in the second Nigerian Republic, Ismaila Isa Funtua; Lagos-East federal lawmaker, Bayo Osinowo; and most recently, Buruji Kashamu, who represented Ogun-East in the eight National Assembly.
If the Federal Government wishes to create a win-win situation with this move, then all loop-holes have to be avoided at every entry point into the country.
