Nigerian schools to reopen on Oct 12 after virus decline

Nigerian schools are to reopen fully on October 12 following a decline in new coronavirus cases in the country, the education minister announced on Friday.

Africa's most populous nation shut down schools in March, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Last month, authorities allowed a partial reopening of schools for graduating students as they moved to ease measures imposed in the wake of the pandemic.

The number of new daily infections, which peaked at an average of 700 in July and August, have come down to 200, Education minister Adamu Adamu said.

In light of this decline, Adamu told reporters in the capital Abuja that "all 104 Unity Colleges" could reopen.

The government has also directed states and private schools to work out the modalities for reopening, but advised them to comply with COVID-19 safety and health guidelines.

"Let me warn that any school owner that does not comply with these guidelines and an outbreak occurs in the school due to negligence, risks closure," Adamu said.

Nigeria has made wearing face masks compulsory, and advised citizens to maintain social distancing and continue washing hands with soap or sanitisers.

The virus has so far infected 59,001 and claimed 1,112 lives out of a population of 200 million, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.