FG lifts ban on football, other outdoor sports, warns against mass gathering

The Federal Government of Nigeria has lifted the ban placed on football and other outdoor sports across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This ban was lifted by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) on Thursday, and the message was amplified by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare.

Recall that the ban on non-contact sports had been lifted since September, after five months of inactivity due to the pandemic.

In a tweet in the late evening of Thursday, Dare took to his Twitter handle to welcome the lifting of the ban on the sports.

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In the tweet, Dare said the Ministry welcomes the decision by the PTF, which also warned that the lifting of the ban does not mean license to large gatherings.

We welcome the lifting of D ban on football by the PTF. “The lifting of restriction on outdoor activities including football is in line with earlier consultations with Ministry of Youth and Sports and NCDC.However, this is limited to the actual sports itself & not mass gathering”

— Sunday Dare (@SundayDareSD) October 15, 2020

Football and other sporting activities across Nigeria, were suspended in March during the peak of the pandemic, as a measure to contain the spread of the disease.

The National Sports Festive which was earlier billed to hold between March and April, was also suspended. No new date has been given for the Festival.

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