Nigeria Suspends COVID-19 Tests For Travelers

Nigeria announced Monday that it will no longer be mandating COVID-19 tests for travelers entering and exiting the country.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stated in a letter to airline operators that pre or post-arrival testing for COVID will no longer be a requirement for travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, reported Reuters.

Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, confirmed the same on Twitter.

"PCR tests required for all passengers who are partial/not fully vaccinated have been suspended," NCAA director-general Musa Nuhu said.

Musa Nuhu also explained that the use of face masks will not be mandatory for all travelers on board aircraft but recommended for persons at risk of severe illness, such as those aged 60 years or older and passengers with underlying medical conditions. He, however, advised all passengers, especially those with pre-existing conditions to take precautionary measures to protect themselves and others from the virus.

"Persons aged 60 years and above, immunocompromised (e.g. due to organ transplant, cancer, etc), those with co-morbidities (e.g. heart disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, etc), are advised to use face masks, wash their hands with water and soap, use hand alcohol-based sanitizers, and avoid large gatherings," he added.

According to Nuhu, the health status declaration form for travelers has been replaced with a health questionnaire that shall be completed by all passengers on the Nigerian International Travel Portal (NITP).

Passengers who do not fill out the NITP health questionnaire before departure will be required to fill it out either on board the aircraft or in the airport terminal building.

According to the new guidelines, disinfecting bags at the entrance of terminal buildings is no longer mandatory and airlines are now allowed to resume catering services. However, social distancing at airport terminal buildings is still encouraged though it is no longer mandatory.

Authorities noted that they recommend the use of alcohol-based sanitizer for passengers and airport workers and stated that boarding and 'disembarkation protocols are to be maintained.' However, all other COVID-19 quarantine/travel requirements are made optional.

"This AOL supersedes previous AOLs issued on COVID-19 for domestic and international operations," the statement read.