BY MODUPE ABIOLA

[Lagos, Nigeria, The African magazine] Lagos, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa’s larges city, today Tuesday went on lockdown to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

The lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari has shut down the megacity of 20 million souls known for its bustling business quarters, over-filled markets that spill into congested streets, usually creating a daily chaos. The lockdown, which also went into effect today in the nation’s capital, Abuja, is scheduled to go on for two weeks.

By so doing, Nigeria joins South Africa, in a move that dismisses the apparent myth that Africa, a continent with largely warm weather, is not a fertile ground for the spread of the killer virus.

It may not be a myth after all, since Nigeria, the largest country in Africa with officially 125 million people—unofficially way above that—has so far recorded only 135 confirmed cases and two deaths. As of now, the entire Sub-Saharan region has recorded fewer than 6,000 cases and a total of 190 deaths. In a letter to the representative of the World Health Organization in Cotonou next door to Nigeria, Benin’s health minister reported today only three cases, where the victims seem likely to survive.

Safety measures seen in Europe and the United States are also being observed here in Nigeria. Police present at checkpoints have the latitude of turning back trucks unless they carry essential goods. Social distancing is also in force here, coupled with a stay-at-home order.

Unlike in the U.S. and Europe where these measures are well understood by the population, most people seem rather annoyed here. Ajoke, who sells goodies in one of Lagos markets, complains to The African magazine that “this situation will lead to a disaster, as people like me won’t be able to make money to meet their basic needs, feed their families.”

Dele Ogubiyi, a civil servant who seems well informed about the management of the covid-19 crisis in the United States where the federal government is about send checks to millions of Americans, feels the Nigerian government should do the same, “or people will stay home and starve, which will open the door to crimes for subsistence.”