On Sunday, the Director General of the Nigeria for Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Chikwe Ihekweazu announced on Twitter that Nigeria is in desperate need of testing kits, to the chagrin of Nigerians who have told the NCDC to look at the testing model adopted in other African countries that have significantly higher cases of coronavirus.

We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing

Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer)

Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc.

?: ncdclabnetwork@ncdc.gov.ng

— Chikwe Ihekweazu (@Chikwe_I) April 26, 2020

Countries like South Africa and Ghana, and this is because they have an increased testing capacity compared to Nigeria’s. Most remarkably is Senegal, developing its testing kits that costs about a dollar and returns results in an hour. It explains why Senegal has one of the lowest coronavirus cases in the world.

With the cases of coronavirus surging daily as reported by the NCDC, comparatively decreased testing capacity, and the strange, sudden deaths that have gripped rural communities in Kano which people gave attributed to COVID-19, Nigeria is seemingly towards a bad storm in this pandemic.

Kaduna extends lockdown by 30 days

The Kaduna government has extended the quarantine order in the state by 30 days. This was confirmed in a statement released by Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye. The Kaduna state Governor stated that only Wednesdays will be lockdown-free, until the trajectory of coronavirus infections becomes clearer.

KADUNA UPDATE: Malam Nasir @elrufai has extended the quarantine orders in the state for another 30 days, effective from 26th April 2020. The decision follows a recommendation to that effect by the State Standing Committee on Covid-19, chaired by @DrHadiza Balarabe pic.twitter.com/JrHxDXFd4U

— Governor Kaduna (@GovKaduna) April 26, 2020

Ebonyi records first case of COVID-19

Ebonyi government has confirmed the state’s first case of Coronavirus since the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria. Governor Dave Umahi who confirmed this in a statement on Sunday evening April 26, said the patient is a 46-year-old man from Ukawu in Onicha Local government area of the state.

Nigerian lawyers are suing China for $200bn over coronavirus

A group of Nigerian lawyers have filed a class action suit against China, following the adverse effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians. The lawyers who are demanding $200 billion as damages for the “loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of normal daily existence of people in Nigeria”, said they have concluded pleadings for the class action against the Chinese government.

Osun records two COVID-19 deaths

The State Government of Osun has announced the death of 2 confirmed cases; 1 in Ede and the other in Ile-Ife. This was disclosed during a Press Briefing with Governor Adegboyega Oyetola at the Government house today. He appealed with Security officials not to compromise with pic.twitter.com/2JFXJXE4qz

— Government of Osun (@StateofOsun) April 26, 2020