Group urges government to tackle disease the Nigerian way

An advocacy group has urged government not to follow measures taken by the European countries to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic but use the Nigerian context.

It pointed out that while developed nations have put in place social safety net for their citizen, Nigeria on the other hand is making their population to choose between infection with the virus and starvation.

The group stated that financial incentive is imperative to implement a successful lockdown without rebellion and for them to reach large informal sector, government should partner with the churches and mosques by using the religious groups large databases and existing means of communication with their followers.

They advised that government to also engage the Nigerian political campaign strategy of reaching the masses with cash gifts, rice among others.

Chief Executive Officer, Water and Sanitation Matter (WASHMATA) Dr. Boluwaji Onabolu, warned that the country could not afford to display ‘covidiocy’ and “cut and paste imported measures of curbing spread of COVID-19 without retrofitting urgently to allow the Nigerian context to dictate our actions.”