By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku
Abuja, Nigeria – Inbound (fully Vaccinated) passengers, arriving Nigeria will no longer be required to take the pre-departure PCR Covid 19 tests effective Monday April 4, 2022.
This information was contained in an announcement made yesterday in Abuja by Muhammadu Buhari aide, Tolu Ogunlesi through his Twitter handle, @toluogunlesi.
According to the aide to the president, “instead a free rapid antigen test will be administered within the airport arrival hall (fully vaxxed only).”
“Passengers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated shall take a Covid 19 PCR Test 48 hours before departure, or do a Day 2 and a day 7 test on arrival. Such passengers will be expected to pay for their PCR tests through the travel platform.”
Some Nigerians who have reacted to this announcement are wondering if the announcement is real or fake news. Prince Agwu, tweeting through his handle, @AgwuP, asks the Buhari aide:
“How free is free? I am a health researcher at the grassroots, and I can confidently tell you that even the so-called immunization is not free as known in the public. Can the government furnish Nigerians with enforcement contacts?”
Reacting to Prince Agwu, Enetombe Stephen, @Aloyebaba requested Prince Agwu to tell the Nigerian government the hospitals that charge people money for immunization in the part of the grassroots that he has researched.
In February 2022 just after they arrived Nigeria after beating Ivory Coast in a football competition, the Super Falcons of Nigeria were locked in at the Abuja airport over Covid 19 tests.
They were denied entry into Abuja by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC over verification of their Covid 19 tests. Even though they had tested negative at the Abidjan airport before they were allowed to leave, the Nigerian government only allowed them in only after four hours. There were reports that most of them fainted.
