Nigeria’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Sarafa Ishola, says the travel restrictions imposed on Nigeria is “apartheid”.
Ishola said this on Monday while speaking on a BBC radio programme.
Some countries in Europe, including the UK, have imposed travel restrictions on more than 10 African countries, including Nigeria, following the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in South Africa.
The UK had on Saturday disclosed that it would add Nigeria to the list of countries on its red list, effective on Monday, due to the discovery of the variant.
The high commissioner said what is expected of the UK is a global approach and not a selective measure, adding that most Omicron cases in Nigeria came from elsewhere through travellers.
“Nigeria actually aligned with the position of the United Nations Secretary-General that the travel ban is apartheid in the sense that we are dealing with an endemic situation, we are dealing with a pandemic situation and what is expected is a global approach, not selective,” he said.
“Omicron is classified as a mild variant, no hospitalisation, no deaths, so the issue is quite different from the Delta variant”.
“That’s why we in Nigeria believe that we are dealing with a pandemic. Whenever we have a challenge there must be a collaboration.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned against “blanket travel bans” by some western countries, except for countries whose health systems are unable to withstand a surge in infections.
The world health body also cautioned against decisions that are induced by fear and not backed by scientific research and evidence.
“Let’s not get deterred right now, let us first get as much information as possible to make the correct risk assessment based on the information that we will have, and then let’s move on,” WHO spokesperson, Christian Lindmeier, said Friday in Geneva.
