Coronavirus: Buhari goes digital, uses video for Covid-19 meeting

With physical distancing and virtual meetings becoming the new normal in a coronavirus (Covid-19) infected world, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, 77, ditched a more conservative approach to governance for a millennial, hipster one, Wednesday.

The president held a teleconference with the Presidential taskforce on #Covid19, #PTFCOVID19 at the State House in Abuja.

The taskforce is headed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and has the Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, Health Minister Osagie Ehanire, NCDC boss Chikwe Ihekweazu and others as members.

President Buhari has imposed lockdowns in the nation’s commercial hub of Lagos, the capital city of Abuja and the industrial state of Ogun in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy.

Briefings from members of his Covid-19 taskforce have often come in physical, formal settings, with sufficient nose masks and social distancing protocol to go around. Curiously, the president is yet to be caught sporting a mask.

There's always sufficient physical distancing at the Aso Villa these days (Twitter:@NGRPresident) Pulse Nigeria

His video conference meeting is his first publicized one since he won a first term in office in 2015 and re-election in 2019 on the platform of the APC.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently held his first virtual meeting with cabinet members.