The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday morning confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the country.

This was contained in a press release issued by the centre and signed by the Director-General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa.

The Omicron variant, a new strain of the coronavirus disease, was reported by South Africa and first detected in Botswana.

Following the discovery, countries such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Israel among others placed travel bans on southern African countries.

Similarly, the government of Canada had also stated that it discovered two cases of the variant from two passengers from Nigeria.

Hence, Canada has added Egypt, Malawi, and Nigeria to the ‘travel ban’ due to the growing concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19,

The Federal Government through the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, however, said that it was investigating the issue to get more details.

However, the NCDC on Wednesday morning said three cases of the variant were discovered through genomic sequencing. It albeit linked the cases to two passengers from South Africa.

The statement reads in part: “In line with the routine travel tests required of all international travellers, genomic sequencing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control through its National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, confirms Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant.

“Genomic sequencing of positive cases from routine day-two testing for travellers to Nigeria identified two cases of Omicron variant among travellers from South Africa who arrived in Nigeria last week.

“Retrospective sequencing of previously confirmed cases among travellers to Nigeria also identified the Omicron variant among samples collected in October 2021.”

The NCDC, however, added that the three patients were asymptomatic and contact tracing had begun.

Genomic sequencing analyses the virus sample taken from a diagnosed patient and compares it with other cases.

By the time the virus arrived in Nigeria, the different changes, or mutations, of COVID-19 “define branches on a tree”.
Each branch of COVID-19 that exists in Nigeria could be linked back to the South Africa, China, UK in the original instance, as well as via an outbreak in a foreign country.

The new variant is coming at a time Nigerians have let down non-pharmaceutical measures like face and nose masking, hand washing and social distancing.

It is also coming at a time when aside border surveillance, Nigeria seems to have developed cold feet in her in-country responses like surveillance and community testing.

With the lull in these activities, the new variant may have had its way into Nigerian communities already and so the need to spring back to action has just been reiterated especially now that the festive season is here.