Comparing Nigeria to developed countries, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has praised the country’s remarkable response to the coronavirus pandemic.
He made this known while speaking at a briefing in New York, on Thursday.
The UN chief singled out Nigeria as one of the developing countries that have “shown a remarkable capacity to respond to the coronavirus,” says he was quite impressed.
He said, “I have to say this; some of these developing countries have shown a remarkable capacity to respond.
“I was quite impressed to see, for instance, Nigeria putting in place and immediately establishing a hospital. And I saw difficulties in countries that are much more developed to do quickly the same.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, currently has about 190 cases of COVID-19 but has managed to keep the death toll to just two. While 24 people have fully recovered and discharged.
Speaking further, Guterres renewed his call for a global ceasefire, urging countries in a conflict like Syria, Libya, and Yemen to lay down arms and allow for unified combat against the coronavirus pandemic.
“The worst is yet to come,” Guterres said, referring to countries beset with fighting.
“The COVID-19 storm is now coming to all these theatres of conflict.”
“The virus has shown how swiftly it can move across borders, devastate countries and upend lives.”
“But there is a huge distance between declarations and deeds — between translating words into peace on the ground and in the lives of people,” Guterres said.