The 36 state governors have recommended a two-week nationwide lockdown to halt the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
The decision was made in an announcement following their meeting on Wednesday April 22, 2020.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF), stated that the lockdown was necessary as the nation was seeing a surge in coronavirus cases in the nation.
A communiqué was issued by the NGF chairman, stating that only essential services would be permitted.
In the meeting, the governors called for the decentralization of the COVID-19 response as the best way to curb the spread of the virus as over 25 states have now been affected.
The NGF also expressed concerns over the rising spread of the virus among health workers and decided to work with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure that health personnel are adequately provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and are constantly trained in the use of protective gears.
The governors also resolved that COVID-19 committees at the regional level would be set up, headed by their State Commissioners of Health in order to implement necessary public health recommendations across the states.
