The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised the Nigerian government for handling the Coronavirus pandemic well.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, currently has 190 cases of COVID-19 but has managed to keep the death toll to just two. While 24 people have fully recovered and discharged.
UN Secretary General while speaking at a virtual news briefing in New York, referred to Nigeria as a ‘developing country’ that has “shown a remarkable capacity to respond to the coronavirus.”
“I have to say this; some of these developing countries have shown a remarkable capacity to respond.
“I was quite impressed to see, for instance, Nigeria putting in place and immediately establishing a hospital. “And I saw difficulties in countries that are much more developed to do quickly the same.”
He also renewed his call for a global ceasefire, urging countries in a conflict like Syria, Libya, and Yemen to lay down arms and allow for unified combat against the coronavirus pandemic.
“The worst is yet to come,” Guterres said, referring to countries beset with fighting.
“The COVID-19 storm is now coming to all these theatres of conflict.”
“The virus has shown how swiftly it can move across borders, devastate countries and upend lives.”“But there is a huge distance between declarations and deeds — between translating words into peace on the ground and in the lives of people,” Guterres said.
“In many of the most critical situations, we have seen no let-up in fighting — and some conflicts have even intensified.”
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK