President Buhari has urged Nigerians not to fear. Instead, he implored everyone to exercise caution. In a statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president also revealed that Nigeria is dealing with the unexpected coronavirus outbreak like every other country in the world.

“Nigeria, like every other country around the world, is dealing with the unexpected and unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Garba Shehu said in a post published on The Aso Rock Villa blog.

“The Muhammadu Buhari administration has taken some steps to mitigate the effects on the Nigerian people.

“To prevent the spread of cases imported into Nigeria, the President has already ordered the restrictions of travel from 13 countries, each with more than 1,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

According to the presidency, the recent travel ban imposed on countries with more than 1000 cases of covid-19 will remain until further notice.

“Government has also suspended visas issued to nationals of these countries. The restriction will take effect from March 20 and will remain until further notice. While Nigeria delights in welcoming the world, the safety and protection of our citizens and land must take priority.

“The various agencies of government including Media owned by the government have embarked on vigorous campaigns promoting hygiene measures.

“There are, currently, very stringent regimes of checks at the points of air and sea entry into the country. The effort Nigeria is making as is well known, has already received the commendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to the presidency, the measures it put in place are working very fine. As such, there is no cause for panic.

“The Presidency wishes to assure Nigerians that [the] government is on top of the situation. There is no cause for panic. So far measures put in place are working efficiently. What this country is doing has been recommended as a template,” the statement continued.

“The President trusts the relevant Ministers in his cabinet and the officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who are providing him with constant updates and professional counsel. These officials have a track record of competence.

According to the presidency, the recent reduction in the price of petrol from N145 to N125 is as a result of the crash in worldwide petroleum price which was triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Finally, the president urged Nigerians to cooperate with the government in the fight against the deadly disease.

In other stories, the Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered the closure of schools nationwide to help combat the potential spread of Covid-19.