NCDC boss says coronavirus outbreak will hit all 36 states in Nigeria

Samson Toromade 11:36 - 16 April 2020

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu [Twitter/@Chikwe_I]

Nigeria has already recorded at least one coronavirus case in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, says all 36 states in Nigeria are likely to record coronavirus cases.

As of April 15, 2020, Nigeria has recorded 407 coronavirus cases, with at least one in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

While speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, April 16, Ihekweazu said unaffected states might have to deal with an outbreak in the future.

"It (coronavirus) will grow to every state in Nigeria. There is no reason why it won't - it is a respiratory virus," he said.

Many states in the country have crippled social and economic activities with lockdown measures that have left many with concerns about economic repercussions for Nigerians.

Ihekweazu said efforts are ongoing to effectively deal with the coronavirus enough that economic activities can resume as soon as possible.

He said this is why it's important for the country to continue to build its capacity to test, detect and isolate infected people so that the outbreak is contained.