International flights which were suspended by the nation's Aviation authorities in the country following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic globally will resume from August 29.

Accordingly, all evacuation flights which were introduced in the country in the wake of the ban on international flights will end on August 25.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who announced this yesterday at the briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19, said

Nigeria's international airports had reached advanced stages of preparedness for the resumption of international flight operations.

He further disclosed that like it was done during the resumption of domestic flights across the country, the international flights will commence with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.

The minister also explained that four flights each will come into Abuja and Lagos airports each on a daily basis.

According to him, emphasis will be placed on the observation of all the safety and technical guidelines as prescribed by global and health authorities, and will be communicated in due course.

Also, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed during the briefing that all evacuation flights will end on 25th August, after which Airports will be given sufficient time to prepare for reopening.

According to the SGF, a number of countries have signified intention to repatriate Nigerians convicted and pardoned and paroled in their countries.

He listed the countries to include the UAE, Egypt and the United States of America.

He said, "Coming in the midst of our National Response to COVID 19, all relevant agencies of government are taking multi-sectoral steps to

ensure that the process remains within acceptable international protocols and in line with bilateral agreements.

"For the purpose of clarity, this should be distinguished from normal evacuation flights and we wish to state that all evacuation flights

will end on 25th August 2020 after which Airports will be given sufficient time to prepare for reopening.

Hinting that tertiary institutions might reopen soon, the SGF said, "Today, the Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) examinations commenced all over the country, like in the other West African States, and the PTF is happy to note the high level of compliance with the protocols for the re-opening of exit classes.

"It is in this light that we appreciate the call by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for the reopening of tertiary institutions. As a listening government, we wish to state that education is topmost on the priority list and the reopening of our institutions remain critical, within set safety parameters".

He, however, decried a situation whereby some very few Nigerians are bent on spreading misleading information.

The SGF pleaded with Nigerians to remain focused on the individual and collective fight to win this fight against COVID-19 and not engage in distractive information dissemination.

According to him, one of such is the viral trend on the social media about the collection of sums of money for COVID-19 negative results.

He further noted that for the benefit of all Nigerians and as explained previously by the DG of NCDC, samples are only collected at designated centres and not at the airports.

According to him, it is, therefore, inconceivable that test results would be given at the airports where only passports of returnees are collected.

"It is disturbing to realise that while a good number of Nigerians are sharing their experiences with the coronavirus and encouraging others to take responsibility, some very few Nigerians are bent on spreading misleading information," he added.

Patient Writes WASSCE From Isolation Centre

Meanwhile, a COVID-19 patient in Gombe State yesterday wrote his WAEC examination under safe condition in the isolation center with full joint supervision of the state ministry of Education, WAEC and Taskforce on COVID-19.

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had earlier directed that students, principals and teachers should be tested for coronavirus preparatory to school resumption for exiting students.

Following the directive, the state's Ministry of Education subjected staff and students TO COVID-19 test, especially in schools under the students' exchange programme.

Through the ministry's proactive measures, the student from Kaduna state who tested positive was immediately evacuated for isolation at state specialist hospital.

Meanwhile, as the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) kicks off in the country, stakeholders in the education sector have expressed satisfaction with the rate of compliance with federal government's directive on COVID-19 guidelines.

Some stakeholders who spoke to LEADERSHIP said both students and staff adhered to all preventive measures advocated by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Our correspondent who visited some of the schools in Abuja observed that examination kicked off to a smooth start despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Apart from wearing of nose masks, washing and sanitising of hands with alcohol-based sanitisers, there was strict adherence to the social distancing protocols in the centers visited.

Earlier, the minister of state for education, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who led a team to monitor the conduct of the exam in some parts of the country expressed satisfaction with compliance with the protocols against the virus.

During the monitoring which commenced at Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School, Nsu, Ehime Mbano, and the Federal Government Girls College, Owerri, the minister took to his official Facebook page to appreciate both school managements for providing the required facilities in line with the COVID-19 guidelines.

Although, the examination commenced in an atypical fashion due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the schools visited have shown some levels of compliance with the government established guidelines.

The federal government had on July 27, 2020 directed schools to reopen in order to prepare students in exit classes to sit for their exams,

while announcing that this years' WASSCE would commence on August 17(yesterday).

The government, therefore, listed safety protocols to ensure the wellbeing of students participating in the WAEC examinations, which included setting in place hand-washing facilities, body temperature checks, body disinfectants at all entering points to their major facilities including, gates, hostels, classes, and offices, among others.

At government secondary school, Lugbe, the examination took off to a smooth start with students abiding by the protocols.

However, some student who spoke to our correspondent on anonymity lamented lack of time to prepare adequately for the exams while also questioning the decision of WAEC to fixed Mathematics as the first subject on its timetable.

This, according to them, is the most difficult subject which needed much time for students to prepare well.

A teacher with Royal Family Academy, Wuye, Abuja, Mr Collins Ezem, in a telephone interview with our reporter said seats in the exam hall were being mounted to aid in observing social distancing while stressing that students on their part were complying with all the necessary protocols requested by the government.

He said, "So far, there is no problem at all, the invigilators came at the right time and students are cooperating, everybody is observing the COVID-19 guidelines including social distance in the hall, our students really show they are enjoying the exams."

Also, a teacher with Danbo International College, Kaduna, Mathew Nyiekaa, said the exams started well with total compliance with the Ministry of Education and NCDC COVID-19 guidelines.

"The social distancing is being observed, sitting arrangement has been designed in a way to create social distance and students are complying with the new rules," he said.

Similarly, our correspondent who visited some schools in the capital city also observed that temperatures of students were checked at the entrance before they were allowed into the school.

Kwara Distributes Sanitisers To Schools

The Kwara State government has donated 50,000 pieces of 200ml and another 2000 pieces of one litre of hand sanitisers for distribution to schools across the state as exit class students begin examinations

amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These sanitisers are to be distributed to schools across the state as our SS3 students started their West African Examination Council examinations today and very soon the JSS3 too will start their exam," secretary to the state government, Prof Saba Mamman Jibril said at the brief handover ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Niger State commissioner of information and strategy, Hon. Muhammad Sani Idris, has admonished school administrators to ensure that students of graduating classes adhere strictly to the COVID-19 Infection Prevention Protocols (IPC) as issued by the Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He stated this during a working visit to schools in Tafa, Suleja and Chanchaga local government areas to monitor the commencement of West African Examination (WAEC) as regards the level of compliance of the established COVID-19 protocols.

Sani, who was on the tour with his counterpart in the Ministry of Education, Hajiya Hannatu Salihu, applauded the level of compliance in all the schools visited.