Buhari Orders Schools To Reopen Fully Nationwide

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed state governments and school administrators to start making plans for the full reopening of schools nationwide.

This was made known on Thursday by the National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, during a briefing at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

Naija News reports that schools had been shut down since March to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Speaking, Aliyu stated that the task force recommends the phased return of students.

Aliyu said, “For educational institutions which include daycare, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Educational institutions should begin the process of working towards potentially reopening within this phase.

“However, we strongly recommend that states conduct risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess, create, and monitor this level of preparedness.

“Meanwhile, all daycares and educational institutions are to remain closed to in-classes until this level of risk is assessed. And if there will be opening of schools, it must be staged and preferably carried out in phases to ensure that this does not pose a risk to the general public and in particular to vulnerable groups that might end up getting infected by students going back home.”

Buhari has also ordered that orientation camps of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should reopen nationwide.