This archive report was first published on 29 July 2020.
On July 8, Nigeria's Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika announced the reopening of 14 airports, which had been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airports, including Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, are now open for full domestic operations, with ministerial approval no longer required.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the country has recorded over 40,000 Covid-19 cases and 858 deaths since the index case on February 27.
Despite efforts to curtail the spread of the virus, including a general lockdown, people in the country have been crossing into and out of states without adhering to protocols.
Meanwhile, the spiritual head of Nigerian Muslims and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, directed all worshippers to observe prayers in Juma'at mosques instead of prayer grounds on July 31, 2020, to mark the festival of Eid-al-Kabir.
