Nigerian News Update:
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has stated that despite the positive growth recorded all through the three quarters of 2021, the recovery of the economy from the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 is still fragile, especially as a new variant emerges.
The president, LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, advised the Federal Government to do everything in its power to sustain the positive growth trajectory towards an inclusive and sustainable growth rate.
Addressing a press briefing on the management of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Lagos, he warned that any imposition of lockdown as a measure to contain and manage the spread of the virus should be avoided at all cost, recommending that Nigeria needs a long-term containment strategy and public health action plan to manage epidemics without having to lock down the economy.
According to him, Nigeria and other African countries are obviously lagging behind in terms of total vaccination. He highlighted steps to strengthen Nigeria’s response to the Covid-19 virus and the latest discovered strain such as urging every Nigerian and other Nationals within this country to increase compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols and continue to take precautions against the virus.
“We must all work towards a safer Nigeria. Let us free our mind and stop being hesitant about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. The fear of dying after receiving the vaccine and other conspiracy theories should be perished. We encourage everyone to take the shots so we can protect ourselves and others from the disastrous effects of the virus,” she said.
He appealed to the government at all levels to declare a state of emergency for the COVID-19 vaccine to be made available, easily accessible and administered to more Nigerians.
“This is very critical because the percentage of Nigerians that have taken the vaccine is very discouraging. Only about 396 of the overall population of eligible persons are fully vaccinated. This is a far cry from the expected. If we fail to plan, we are already planning to fail. Hence, both Government and Citizens alike must ensure that this percentage increases drastically in the next few months, or else we would all have to bear the dire consequences,” he warned.