Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The governor announced on Monday, November 9, 2020 that his latest test showed that he was infected by the novel disease.

The 52-year-old said he has since isolated himself since he received the news.

Bello is the ninth Nigerian governor to test positive for the highly infectious disease that has infected over 51 million people globally, killing over 1.2 million.

Bauchi's Governor Bala Mohammed, Kaduna's Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Oyo's Governor Seyi Makinde, Abia's Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Ondo's Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Delta's Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Ebonyi's Governor Dave Umahi, and Ekiti's Governor Kayode Fayemi have all tested positive in the past.

News of Bello's infection follows recent concerns by officials that Nigeria might be about to witness a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak.

300 new cases were recorded on Sunday, November 8, the highest number of new infections recorded for weeks.

Officials have repeatedly cautioned Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to non-pharmaceutical safety measures to prevent infection.

Since Nigeria's first case was detected in February, over 64,000 cases have been recorded, with over 1,100 killed.

The country currently has just a little over 3,000 active cases with thousands recovering from infection.

There are numerous vaccines in development to cure the disease, but none has been approved for mass production.