COVID-19: FG To Review January 18 Scheduled School Resumption Date

Federal Government has said it would review the January 18 date fixed for resumption of schools across Nigeria amid coronavirus second wave.

It stated that the decision to review the date is as a result of the increasing COVID-19 cases currently ravaging the country.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this while answering questions during a press briefing by Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, ThePunch reports.

Tertiary institutions nationwide were closed for over 9 months in 2020 partly because of the protracted strike action of the union as well as the COVID19 pandemic.

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on December 23 called off their strike and National Universities Commission (NUC) thereafter asked Universities to resume academic activities on January 18.

The directive for reopening came with a strong warning that school administrators must ensure strict adherence to all COVID19 protocols which include sanitizing, wearing of facemasks as well as social distancing.

Adamu said;

On the January 18 resumption date, we are reviewing it. We are going to review it. At the PTF meeting today, we considered it, and tomorrow, the ministry is going to take it up.

The new development comes less than 24 hours after some members of ASUU kicked against resumption of academic activities in all universities across the country on January 18, citing increasing coronavirus cases.

Chairmen of various chapters of the union in various institutions said the COVID-19 protocols cannot be adhered to in classrooms and hostels that are already crowded.

They expressed that although their members were ready to start work, government had not put measures in place for safe reopening of the schools.

More details to come.