President Muhammadu Buhari on 13 April 2020 announced the extension of the 14-day restriction which was initially put in place on 30 March 2020, for another 14 days in Lagos, the FCT and Ogun State. The President recognised the hardship the extension might cause, especially on persons whose livelihood and sustenance depend on their ability to go out. He assured Nigerians that palliative measures such as food distribution, cash transfers and loans repayment waivers to ease the pains of the restrictive policies will be sustained. Further, certain ministries were directed to jointly develop a comprehensive policy for a “Nigerian economy functioning with COVID-19” and to collaborate with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ensure the impact of this pandemic is minimized. The President’s speech has been criticized for failure to address the current security situation in the country, and the two month free electricity palliative proposed by the National Assembly.
Read the full speech here.