The number of deaths caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Germany has been rising for weeks, exceeding the 30,000 mark after the Christmas holidays. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s centre for disease control and prevention, announced on Monday morning that altogether 30,126 persons had died in Germany of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus infection, since …

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has vowed to fine airlines $3,500 for each passenger that refuses to adhere to the new travel protocols announced by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. In a letter, dated 26 December and signed by its Director-General, Capt Musa Nuhu, NCAA directed passengers flying from the United Kingdom and South Africa to present a …

What you need to know about visiting the UK from 1 January 2021

Nigeria’s federal government has imposed fresh travel requirements on passengers travelling into the country from the United Kingdom and South Africa as from Monday. The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, disclosed this at its briefing in Abuja on Thursday, said penalties, including passport or visa suspension for at least six months, would be imposed …

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier believes we have overcome the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Solidarity has grown stronger through the crisis, the president said in his Christmas address to the nation. “‘When can I live my dreams again?’ This sigh of exasperation, my fellow Germans, is one of the thousands of personal messages I received from all parts of our …

The European Commission, on Monday (21 December), authorised the use of the Covid-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for member states to start vaccination programmes within the next few days. “We have granted conditional market authorisation to the vaccine produced by BioNTech and Pfizer,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, …

Since several agencies of government have made registration for the National Identification Number (NIN) mandatory, the issue has become a source of concern to Nigerians including those in the diaspora. Last week, the Nigerian Communication Commission ordered telecommunications companies to suspend mobile phone SIM cards that are not linked to NIN. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora …

Nigeria’s federal government has imposed new nationwide restrictions amid rising cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in various parts of the country. Mr Boss Mustapha, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, announced this on Monday at the briefing of the task force in Abuja, the nation’s capital. He explained that the directives were advisories issued to state …

Following the detection of a new coronavirus strain, found to have a higher transmission rate in England, at least 27 countries have banned flights and travellers from the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had on Saturday broken the news that London and Southeast England would go into restrictions Sunday. “It is with a very heavy heart, I must …

A former Germany-based Nigerian academic, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Nigeria. The chairman of the  university’s governing council, Senator Chris Iheanyichukwu Adighije, made the announcement on Friday in the Kogi State capital city. Akinwumi, one of Nigeria’s leading historians, was until his appointment Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi. Adighije explained …