The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced the detection of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.
According to a statement by Ifedayo Adetifa, the NCDC director-general, the variant was detected in two Nigerians who arrived in the country last week.
It would be recalled that the government of Canada had stated that it discovered two cases of the variant from two passengers from Nigeria.
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 two cases of the variant were discovered through genomic sequencing. It 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 two patients were asymptomatic and contact tracing had begun.
