Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has said that schools may re-open after the ban on interstate travel is lifted nationwide.

The Minister stated that reopening of schools across the nation would require the return of teachers and students to their places of work and schools; hence the need to have access to roads for academic activities to resume.

Nwajiuba said these at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID19 in Abuja.

He reiterated that the government would not experiment with Nigerian children following cases of school reopening in some African countries and increasing number of COVID 19 cases as well as such countries shutting down schools on reopening.

According to Nwajiuba, “You heard about neighbouring countries that reopened and shut down again. You have heard about numbers spiking as a result of reopening the schools. Of all the things I would like to do, I wouldn’t want to experiment with your children”

The Minister added that the government had resolved to open school only when the medical experts certify the reopening.

“What we are planning is to actually bring in those exit years first as soon as those who are in charge of the blockade lift it , because there is no way we can open our schools if teachers cannot come, teachers and students will have to be able to have access to roads to travel back to their schools for academic activities to resume“Nwajiuba said.

“So, we are looking at somewhere after when this interstate lockdown is lifted because we need to have that kind of openness for even the children to move” the Minister added.

Recall that the Inter state ban was placed by the Federal government as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the country.

Senegal postponed the reopening of schools until further notice after several teachers tested positive for the new coronavirus in May.

While Ugandan President , Yoweri Museveni said the country is not ready for the resumption of classes after deep scientific studies on the spread of the pandemic in the country.

•Text (excluding hedline) courtesy of Voice of Nigeria (VON)

Update news