Former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, believes that Nigeria and South Africa should reciprocate the UK’s and other Western countries’ travel restrictions.
Following the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 mutation, Canada, Indonesia, the United States, and other European countries, notably the United Kingdom, imposed travel restrictions on African countries.
The United Kingdom stated on Saturday that Nigeria would be added to its red list of countries, allowing only UK residents and Nigerian citizens to visit.
On Monday, Moghalu reacted to the news by saying it is “unconscionable” to ban travel from Africa due to a COVID variant that did not originate on the continent.
“Nigeria and other African countries such as South Africa should issue reciprocal restrictions or bans on any western countries that restrict or ban travel by Africans because of the Omicron variant of #COVID19,” he wrote on social media.
“It’s unconscionable to subject Africans to restrictions because of a variant that did not originate from the continent when western countries with similar or more cases are not subject to similar restrictions.
“This is more than public health. It’s about worldviews in international relations. Our dignity matters. Our leaders should protect it instead of as is the case with Nigeria today, travelling around the world with a begging bowl for foreign assistance.”
