Nigeria is ill-prepared to handle another pandemic on the scale of COVID-19, according to Professor Oyewale Tomori, a renowned virologist and former World Health Organisation (WHO) Advisor.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Africa Health Report (AHR) on Saturday, Tomori sharply criticised the country’s current health infrastructure, particularly its laboratory system, warning that Nigeria’s ability to detect and manage future outbreaks is gravely compromised.
“No, no, no, we cannot manage any pandemic of COVID-19 magnitude with our laboratories not working. How are we going to detect?” Tomori remarked. “You need to establish what you can manage instead of building 160 labs you can’t maintain. Why not build 60 that you can actually manage?”
Tomori drew a stark comparison with polio eradication efforts across Africa, where just 15 to 16 well-equipped labs are managing the virus. He said that a functional system extends beyond labs to include efficient specimen collection and transportation systems, which Nigeria sorely lacks.
In a pointed critique of Nigeria’s health policy, Tomori said, “When virus want to strike in Nigeria, I appeal they should do so at Aso Rock, National Assembly, and the judiciary, take one or two of them, and then you will see things will start to change in this country.”
The virologist also expressed skepticism about the ongoing situation in China, where a new virus emerged. “We don’t even have the reagents to test for it. When NCDC says the new variants are moderate, I ask, what evidence do you have? Who is monitoring citizens returning from China?” Tomori questions.
With these grave warnings, the expert stressed that Nigeria’s failure to address its health system’s deficiencies could have dire consequences in the face of future global health threats.
