COVID-19 In Nigeria Research Articles

Six months of COVID-19 response in Nigeria: lessons, challenges, and way forward

Background: The declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization necessitated countries across the globe to implement response and mitigation measures. We aimed to assess the Nigerian government's response following six months of detection of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
 Methods: A narrative review of existing literature on the topic was done. The authors' opinion as experts supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response was included. The review and opinion were summarized, covering six months of the outbreak response in Nigeria.
 Results: Contact tracing commenced after identifying the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria but has been faced with challenges such as inadequate equipment and shortage of funds. School closure was implemented barely three weeks after detecting the index case, but the resumption of terminal classes has been announced recently. The Nigerian government implemented restrictions on gatherings involving up to 11 people after three weeks following the detection of the index case of COVID-19. The lack of enforcement and supervision of gatherings and public events made many individuals disregard the restriction measures. Lockdowns on religious gatherings and public events have been recently eased nationwide, and regulatory measures have been put in place. The Nigerian government implemented bans on international travel from all countries, especially high-risk countries. However, the existence of porous borders limited success, which could have been obtained from the travel ban.
 Conclusion: COVID-19 mitigation measures should be implemented and reinforced as required nationwide and get provided the needed support.
 
 References
 
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 European centre for disease prevention and control. COVID-19 situation updates worldwide, as of 26 August 2020. In: ECDC 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases [ Accessed on 26 August 2020].]
 Nigeria centre for disease control. COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria situation report. Abuja. In: NCDC. 2020 Contract No.: S/N: 001. Available from: https://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
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 Okunola A. 5 Challenges facing health care workers in Nigeria as they tackle COVID-19. On 9 June 2020. In: Global citizen. Available from: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/challenges-for-health-care-workers-nigeria-covid/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Sessou E. COVID-19: Why we provided testing kits in Kano- ADF. 2020 May 8. In: Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/05/covid-19-why-we-provided-testing-kits-in-kano-adf/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Ilesanmi OS, Afolabi AA. Time to move from vertical to horizontal approach in our COVID-19 response in Nigeria. SciMed J. 2020; 2:28-29. https://doi.org/10.28991/SciMedJ-2020-02-S1-3.
 Olisa C. Covid-19: FG orders immediate shut down of all schools. 2020 March 20. In: Naira Metrics [Internet]. Available at: https://nairametrics.com/2020/03/20/covid-19-fg-orders-immediate-shut-down-of-all-schools/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Adejayan G. COVID-19: Lagos decontaminates schools for partial resumption. On 1 August 2020 [cited 26 August 2020]. In: Within Nigeria. Available from: https://www.withinnigeria.com/2020/08/01/covid-19-lagos-decontaminates-public-schools-for-partial-resumption/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Oyetimi K, Adewakun A. E-learning: How COVID-19 is reshaping education in Nigeria. On 10 April 2020. Publish In: MSN. Available at: https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/e-learning-how-covid-19-is-reshaping-education-in-nigeria/ar-BB12pMEd [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Hale T, Webster S, Petherick A, Phillips T, Kira B. Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, Blavatnik School of Government. 2020 March 21. In: Our World in Data. Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/public-gathering-rules-covid?year=2020-08-26&time=2020-01-01.2020-08-04&region=Africa [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Lagos police command enforces ban on social gatherings to prevent spread of coronavirus. On 22 March 2020. In Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/lagos-police-command-enforces-ban-on-social-gatherings-to-prevent-spread-of-coronavirus/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Donohue JM, Miller E. COVID-19 and School Closures. JAMA. 2020;324(9):845-847. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.13092
 Sahara Reporters. Nigerian government lifts ban on religious gatherings, reduces curfew hours. On 1 June 2020. In: Sahara Reporters. Available from: http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/01/nigerian-government-lifts-ban-religious-gatherings-reduces-curfew-hours [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 COVID-19: Lagos reels out guidelines for reopening of Mosques, Churches. On 6 August 2020. In: Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/covid-19-lagos-reels-out-guidelines-for-reopening-of-mosques-churches/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].
 Vanguard. Porous borders, cause of rise in COVID-19 cases — FG. On 3 April 2020. In: Vanguard [internet]. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/porous-borders-cause-of-rise-in-covid-19-cases-fg/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].

Forecasting of New Cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria Using Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average Models

The emergence of global pandemic known as COVID-19 has impacted significantly on human lives and measures have been taken by government all over the world to minimize the rate of spread of the virus, one of which is by enforcing lockdown. In this study, Autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) Models was used to model and forecast what the daily new cases of COVID-19 would have been ten days after the lockdown was eased in Nigeria and compare to the actual new cases for the period when the lockdown was eased. The proposed model ARFIMA model was compared with ARIMA (1, 0, 0), and ARIMA (1, 0, 1) and found to outperform the classical ARIMA models based on AIC and BIC values. The results show that the rate of spread of COVID-19 would have been significantly less if the strict lockdown had continued. ARFIMA model was further used to model what new cases of COVID-19 would be ten days ahead starting from 31st of August 2020. Therefore, this study recommends that government should further enforce measures to reduce the spread of the virus if business must continue as usual.

The Act of Torture and Inhumane Treatment as Human Rights Violations during COVID-19 in Nigeria

In December 2017, Nigeria signed into law the Anti-Torture Act 2017. This was done in acknowledgement of her obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its optional Protocol. Bearing in mind that there were existing laws which provided for torture, the Act was enacted to fill the gaps in the existing laws such as defining the term- torture and prescribing adequate punishment for the offenders. This article highlights some key provisions under the Act, laying particular emphasis on the duties of the State to protect its citizens from all forms of violations of their human rights. In this instance, we assert that the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment is a non-derogable right and law enforcement officers are duty-bound to respect this right in whatever situation, even in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Also portrayed in this article are some situational analysis of torture victims as well as court decisions on the matter. We conclude by restating some of the acts performed by law enforcement officers which constitute torture and proffer some recommendations.

Impact of COVID-19 on utilization of maternal, newborn and child health services in Nigeria: protocol for a country-level mixed-methods study

Background: Battling with COVID-19 and providing essential services along the continuum of care could be challenging. This study will evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on utilization of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in Nigeria and explore the barriers being experienced by women and their families in getting access to MNCH services, as well as other contextual factors that may have shaped the utilization of MNCH services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and analysis: The study will adopt an observational mixed-methods study design involving 18 health care facilities delivering MNCH services in six selected states across six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We will retrieve longitudinal data on MNCH services from all selected hospitals three months before and after the first recorded case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Qualitative data will be collected using in-depth interviews conducted via mobile phones or ZOOM meeting platforms among stakeholder participants (users of MNCH services, health workers and policymakers) to ascertain their perceptions on how COVID-19 has shaped the utilization of MNCH services. We will triangulate quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the utilization of MNCH services in Nigeria. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approvals have been obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the tertiary hospitals involved in the study. Our findings will provide the first evidence from an African setting on the impact of COVID-19 on the utilization of MNCH services using a mixed-methods study design for policy formulation towards sustained MNCH service delivery.

Estimating the Transmission Risk of COVID-19 in Nigeria: A Mathematical Modelling Approach

Objectives: The potential burden of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan African might be substantially more significant than reported, and more than the existing health system can handle. Hence, in this study, we estimate and project the burden and transmission risk of COVID-19, in Nigeria, using current interventions. Methods: Modified SEIR epidemic mathematical model was used to simulate the disease progression in weeks, for up to 19 weeks. Different situations, involving zero-intervention and varying degrees of interventions are modeled. For the intervention phase, 25% and 75% social distancing are considered, while border closure includes 80% closure of airports, seaports, and intra-state borders, using available data as of 15th May 2020. Results: The effects of various interventions on the R0 of COVID-19 are presented. A higher percentage of social distancing appears to be more effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria than border closure. Up to 131,000 persons could be infected if there are no interventions. Conclusion: According to our results, it is easier to enforce 75% closures than 25%, as the percentage of the population complying with social distancing is higher when at least 75% of public places were closed. The minimum requirement of the population percentage that needs to comply with the social distancing advice, to weaken the epidemic can be obtained from the model.

Poor COVID 19 Pandemic Waste Management Outcome in Nigeria: A Possible Potential Public Health Threat and Promoter of Community Transmission

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic outcome which is an emerging infectious disease that potentially originated from Wuhan in China has seen an upsurge of cases and deaths globally over time. One of the consequences found in the course of the management of these viral pandemic involves the massive production and usage of different myriad of medical supplies to meet up the increasing demands by health workers, patients and the public. This trend has resulted in the proliferation of medical wastes against a backdrop of poor waste management outcome especially in Nigeria. Aim The aim of this article borders on bringing to light the effects of improperly managed medical wastes, and the risks it poses to human health and the environment at large. Furthermore also, to outline various types of medical wastes and the guidelines associated with their disposal, especially those associated with management of COVID-19 pandemic saga. Method/Methodology The study approach follows the systematic review of peer-reviewed published articles as well as online publications and articles derived from various databases with search keywords relevant to the topic of discourse. Findings and Results Findings from this study show that the coronavirus disease of 2019 has spread widely globally with massive socio-economic and socio-cultural consequences. Over time there has been a progressive increase in cases and deaths due to Covid-19 in Nigeria and most other countries. The management of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the proliferation of medical wastes. Medical wastes are those generated from the use of medical supplies in the course of healthcare delivery and disease prevention such as hand gloves, facemasks, and hazmat suits etc. Medical wastes legislations that support the proper disposal of medical wastes in Nigeria and most other developing nations have been very weak and have failed to achieve the desired results, with high incidences of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis still being transmitted through improperly disposed of wastes. Therefore improperly waste disposal may probably serve as a very potent means of community transmission of COVID-19 transmission, if not handled in good time especially the freshly disposed materials Conclusion and Recommendation While the generation of massive wastes is being seen in this COVID-19 pandemic period, it may be unavoidable that there could be re-infection of subjects from improper medical waste disposal strategies. Thus, it is pertinent that relevant regulations are put in place, enforced and monitored to ensure that improperly managed wastes do not form another avenue for widespread of the virus in our communities. It is also very necessary to organize massive campaigns aimed at creating enough public awareness of the risks associated with medical wastes and on the need for proper disposal especially COVID 19 associated waste materials.

Demographic factors, attitude and knowledge of persons with special needs towards COVID-19 in Nigeria: Implications for counselling and social policy

This study investigated demographic factors, attitude and knowledge of persons with special needs towards COVID-19 in Nigeria between 12 th and 25 th May, 2020. This cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 72 persons with special needs purposively selected from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. A questionnaire comprising questions on demographic information (three), knowledge (24) and attitude (28) towards COVID-19 was completed via Google forms by the participants (r = 0.78). There were more males (51, 70.8%) than females (21, 29.2%) and the most common age group was 34-44 years (37.5%). The number of participants with a hearing impairment was 34 (47.2%) and the number with a visual impairment was 26 (36.1%). The results indicate adequate knowledge about the characteristics of COVID-19. It was found that 98.6% of the participants had heard about COVID-19; 94.4% were aware that COVID-19 is a contagious disease, 91.7% stated that COVID-19 is a virus and 88.9% reported correctly that the incubation period is 3-14 days. The knowledge about symptoms of COVID-19 among participants was high (x = 2.63; participants obtained 87.8% of the total achievable score for these questions). The knowledge about prevention and control of COVID-19 among participants needs was very high (x = 2.77; participants obtained 92.3% of the total achievable score for these questions). Attitude of participants towards the COVID-19 outbreak was positive and above average (x = 2.84). However, participants reported that it is hard to get palliatives or financial support from others during COVID-19 lockdown (52.8%) and that they feel frustrated by the uncaring attitude of the government towards them during COVID-19 lockdown (55.6%). On this basis, counselling and social policy implications were suggested including the provision of palliatives by the government and the need for widespread enlightenment among individuals with special needs on prevention of COVID-19.

Effect of Covid-19 on Nigerian Socio-economic Well-being, Health Sector Pandemic Preparedness and the Role of Nigerian Social Workers in the War Against Covid-19

ABSTRACT Covid-19 is a virus that has created tension and devastation around the globe. This study is designed to specifically find out the effect of Covid-19 on the socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians, the health sector preparedness to handle the pandemic, and the role of Nigerian social workers in the fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria. The study employed a phenomenological and exploratory research design in its inquiry. Sixteen respondents made up the sample size for the study. A Focus Group Discussion Guide and an In-Depth Interview Guide were the instruments for data collection. The result of the study shows that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians. Second, the Nigerian health system is ill equipped and underprepared to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Third, Nigerian social workers, most especially medical social workers, have played a significant role in passing out information on Covid-19 preventive measures to the general public. The study recommends that the Nigerian government should wake up and fix the health sector and make it proactive to handle epidemics/pandemics in the future. Social work practice in Nigeria should be promoted by the government through institutionalization of the profession.

COVID-19 in Nigeria: Knowledge and compliance with preventive measures

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus pandemic has upended the world as we knew it and is a concern for governments globally. With cases still surging in different regions around the globe, the level of knowledge of COVID-19 and compliance with preventive measures still differ across cultural regions. Our study explored knowledge of COVID-19 and compliance with preventive measures among community members in Anambra State, Nigeria, using in-depth interviews (IDI). Data were sourced from 36 persons comprising 30 household heads age 48 years and above and six children age 13–17 years. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that a majority of the respondents believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is more of a hoax than reality. Other findings showed that this poor knowledge negatively affected their compliance with preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. To improve knowledge on the coronavirus pandemic, we recommended dissemination of accurate information to ensure compliance with preventive measures.

Evaluation of the Lockdowns for SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic in South Eastern Nigeria

The novel SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, a pandemic of great public health concern. COVID-19 was fi rst reported in Wuhan, China in December, 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The fi rst case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was confi rmed on the 27th of February, 2020 and has since spread to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, bringing total confi rmed cases in Nigeria to 25,694, 9,746 recoveries and 590 deaths as at 30th June, 2020. This was therefore designed to examine the impact of the lockdowns and border closures of states on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the fi ve states of South Eastern, Nigeria. COVID-19 data of the fi ve South Eastern States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo between April 1st and 30th June were retrieved from the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) microsites and analyzed using GraphPad software, Version 5.01. Results showed that the South Eastern states recorded a total of 1,415 COVID-19 cases between April when all the fi ve states had their fi rst cases and June, 30th with Ebonyi with a total of 438(31.0%) producing the highest confi rmed cases. The highest rate of infection was observed in the month of June with Ebonyi recording the highest (28.1%), followed by Abia and Imo with 21.2% and 20.9% respectively. The use of face masks, social distancing, community lockdown and other containment measures are necessary to prevent further upsurge in the rate COVID-19 infection in the South East, and indeed the whole Nigeria.

COVID-19 in Nigeria: Situation update and combative measures taken by the government.

COVID-19 in Nigeria: Situation update and combative measures taken by the government.

Analysis of Online Newspapers’ Framing Patterns of COVID-19 in Nigeria

Online newspapers have become one of the leading hubs for information disemination especially with the advent of web 2.0. Internet penetration in Nigeria has also contributed immensily in making diferent news contents avaliable on the web. Many people now depend on their smart phones, laptops and tablets to access news from the internet. Articles in online newspapers on COVID-19 are shared social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram amongst others, making it possible for stories to easily go viral. The manner in which online newspapers frame issues of public importance determines the level of knowledge of online news consumers and their perception of the issues. This study investigates how three online newspapers framed the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Anchored on Frame Analysis Theory, the study also employs Relational Content Analysis as its design. Finding shows that fear and death, government and/political influence, and palliative frames emerged as the dominant frames across the three online newspapers – Sahara Reporters, Premium Times and Daily Post studied for three months.The implication of this finding is that online newspapers reported COVID-19 outbreak in ways that made the audience jittery before the eventual outbreak of the pandemic. The study recommends that online newspapers should harp more on palliative as against fear and death frames in reporting any health emergancy in the future.

Care Seeking Behavior of Citizens During Pandemics: A Case Study of COVID-19 in Nigeria

Care Seeking Behavior of Citizens During Pandemics: A Case Study of COVID-19 in Nigeria

Demographic factors, attitude and knowledge of persons with special needs towards COVID-19 in Nigeria: Implications for counselling and social policy

This study investigated demographic factors, attitude and knowledge of persons with special needs towards COVID-19 in Nigeria between 12th and 25th May, 2020. This cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 72 persons with special needs purposively selected from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. A questionnaire comprising questions on demographic information (three), knowledge (24) and attitude (28) towards COVID-19 was completed via Google forms by the participants (r = 0.78). There were more males (51, 70.8%) than females (21, 29.2%) and the most common age group was 34-44 years (37.5%). The number of participants with a hearing impairment was 34 (47.2%) and the number with a visual impairment was 26 (36.1%). The results indicate adequate knowledge about the characteristics of COVID-19. It was found that 98.6% of the participants had heard about COVID-19; 94.4% were aware that COVID-19 is a contagious disease, 91.7% stated that COVID-19 is a virus and 88.9% reported correctly that the incubation period is 3-14 days. The knowledge about symptoms of COVID-19 among participants was high (x = 2.63; participants obtained 87.8% of the total achievable score for these questions). The knowledge about prevention and control of COVID 19 among participants needs was very high (x = 2.77; participants obtained 92.3% of the total achievable score for these questions). Attitude of participants towards the COVID-19 outbreak was positive and above average (x = 2.84). However, participants reported that it is hard to get palliatives or financial and material support from others during COVID-19 lockdown (52.8%) and that they feel frustrated by the uncaring attitude of the government towards them during COVID-19 lockdown (55.6%). On this basis, counselling and social policy implications were suggested including the need for widespread enlightenment on how to reduce hearing and vision impairments in the country.

The Looming Dangers of Explosion in Community Transmissions of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Currently, Nigeria is still at the ascending phase of the COVID-19 curve with no sign of deceleration. Thus, the recent decision by governors of states in northern Nigeria to deport Almajirai (itinerant Islamic school pupils) from their states as part of efforts to contain COVID-19 transmission is likely to have a serious backlash. With hundreds of Almajirai testing positive to COVID-19, and millions of others untested, they constitute ubiquitous nodes of transmission. Their deportation has created multiple emigration channels that constitute prospective feeders to covert community transmission. This viewpoint examines this trend within the context of Nigeria’s current [in]capacity to manage the spread of COVID-19 and concludes that greater risks seem to lie ahead unless the government takes stringent containment measures.

Attitude and preventive practices towards COVID-19 disease and the impact of awareness training on knowledge of the disease among correctional officers

COVID-19 disease remains a public health emergency of international concern. Efforts at the global and national levels are being made to control its spread. The Nigerian Correctional Service is also proactive in the fight against the disease by organizing COVID-19 awareness training for correctional officers. We conducted a pre- and post-test assessment of COVID-19 knowledge among correctional officers in Enugu State Command to determine the impact of awareness training on their knowledge level. The study also assessed correctional officers’ attitude and preventive practices towards the disease. The mean knowledge score was 19.34 out of 25, and the awareness training significantly improved the participants’ COVID-19 knowledge. We found a significant moderate, positive correlation between knowledge and attitude/practice, and a significantly higher knowledge level among those with higher educational qualifications. The majority of the respondents (87.9%) believed that there were confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, whereas 85.1%, 78.7%, and 75.9% believed that there were cases in other parts of the world, the world will win the battle against COVID-19, and that there will be successful control of the disease, respectively. Regular hand washing with soap and water was practiced by 87.9% of the participants, whereas 84.4%, 83%, and 58.9%, wore face masks in public places, practiced social distancing, and avoided crowded places, respectively. Obtaining information from multiple sources was the commonest (53.2%), and this was followed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (26.2%).

The Impact of the Lockdown Measure on the Confirmed Cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria

Aims: This study examined the impact of the lockdown measure on the confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria. The objectives of the study include to identifying an appropriate autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model that is adequate for estimating the reported cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria and to ascertain whether the ease of lockdown has a significant impact on the reported cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. 
 Place and Duration of Study: The source of the data used for this study was the secondary data obtained from the daily report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) from 1st February 2020 to 30th June 2020.
 Methodology: The statistical tools used for data analysis are the ARIMA time series model and the Chow test analysis.
 Results: Nigeria ranked 1st in West Africa sub-region with a total of 25, 133 confirmed COVID-19 cases, followed by Ghana with 17, 351 confirmed cases while Gambia recorded the least number of confirmed cases with 47 cases of COVID19. The ARIMA (0, 1, 1) was identified as the best model for forecasting the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria within the observed period. It was found that there exists a significant difference in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the lockdown period and the post lockdown period.
 Conclusion: The study revealed that Nigeria has the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 in West Africa region. Also, the ease of the lockdown was found to increase the number of confirmed virus cases in Nigeria.

COVID-19 Experience: Taking the Right Steps at the Right Time to Prevent Avoidable Morbidity and Mortality in Nigeria and Other Nations of the World.

The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic has caused countless governmental and societal challenges around the world. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has been exposed in recent years to a series of epidemics including Ebola and Lassa fever. In this paper, we document our perception of the national response to COVID-19 in Nigeria. The response to the pandemic is with a healthcare system that has changed as a result of previous infectious disease outbreaks but in the context of scarce resources typical of many low-middle income countries. We make recommendations regarding what measures should be in place for future epidemics.

5G, Religion, and Misconceptions in Communication during Covid-19 in Nigeria

<p><em><span>5G was test-launched in Nigeria in 2019 to improve its communication technology, conspiracy theorists, however, linked 5G to the outbreak of the Covid-19. As with conspiracies, the ‘who’ that lends credence to it affects how far it travels. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder of Believers LoveWorld, added his voice to the 5G debate, claiming that Covid-19 lockdown was decoy to sequester the population for government to covertly deploy 5G. This study is important because it addresses the issue of fake news and its ability to cause civil disobedience in the society. Using secondary research method, content analysis was used to review arguments on 5G controversy in the Nigerian context. Findings revealed that government appealed for calm and stated that no license for the installation of 5G has been issued yet. Technology enthusiasts and media organizations put out fact-checking information in support of the technology. Various arguments indicate that no one really understands the full capabilities of 5G and its long-term effect on living organisms and the environment. It is recommended that more tests be carried out in varying conditions to understand the tolerance limit of the technology, and for the government to be transparent in its public communication.</span></em></p>

Prediction of Cumulative Death Cases in Nigeria Due to COVID-19 Using Mathematical Models

In this paper, we present various growth models such as Von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, Morgan-Mercer-Flodin (MMF), modified Richards, modified Gompertz, modified Logistics and Huang in fitting and evaluating the COVID-19 epidemic pattern as of 15 July 2020 in the form of the total number of SARS-CoV-2 deaths in Nigeria. The MMF model was found to be the best model having the highest adjusted R2 value and lowest RMSE value. The values for the Accuracy and Bias Factors were near unity (1.0). The parameters derived from the MMF model include maximum growth rate (log) of 0.02 (95% CI from 0.02 to 0.03), curve constant (d) that affects the infection point of 1.61 (95% CI from 1.42 to 1.79) and maximal total number of death cases (Ymax) of 1,717 (95% CI from 1,428 to 2,123). The model estimated that the total number of death cases for Nigeria on the coming 15th of August and 15th of September 2020 were 940 (95% CI of 847 to 1,043) and 1,101 (95% CI of 968 to 1,252), respectively. The predictive ability of the model employed in this study is a powerful tool for epidemiologist to monitor and assess the severity of COVID-19 in Nigeria in months to come. However, like any other model, these values need to be taken with caution because of the COVID-19 uncertainty situation locally and globally.