Musician Davido proceeded with a club appearance that had more than 50 people in attendance at Nigeria’s largest city of Ibadan on Saturday, missing an opportunity to be a voice for awareness against coronavirus.
Governments across the world have been advising citizens to desist from taking part in a gathering that would have more than 50 people. In Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, officials have announced a downward review of the threshold to only 20 people.
Health experts, including the World Health Organisation, strongly recommended social distancing, a practice that involves people keeping a physical distance of at least one metre from one another, as a potent form of suppressing the spread of COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus currently ravaging the globe.
Social distancing was implemented in China, where the virus was believed to have broken out in November 2019, and the country has now recorded tremendous progress, including reporting no new infections for three days and counting.
Even though celebrities across the world, including Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres, have been lending their voice towards social distancing and self-isolation awareness by the larger populace, Davido still proceeded with at least three events around Ibadan on Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
First in the afternoon, Davido appeared at a wedding in Ibadan. Later in the day, he was cited at Club Derok and Stone Café, both in Ibadan, PREMIUM TIMES learnt from those who attended and multimedia shared online. Stone Café said on its Instagram page at about 10:42 p.m. that Davido and his crew arrived at the club, although the information now seemed to have been taken down.
Dozens of people turned up at all the events where the artist performed. Before hitting the clubs, he was hosted by Governor Seyi Makinde, but it was unclear whether the governor had prior knowledge of the musician’s other missions across Ibadan.
Asa Asika, Davido’s manager and publicist, could not be reached for comment Sunday morning. Stone Café and Club Derok could not be reached for comments.
The club events were held as Oyo State was announcing its first confirmed coronavirus infection shortly after midnight on Sunday. The case has taken Nigeria’s confirmed coronavirus infections to 26, per Nigeria’s disease control department.
Oyo State has closed down schools and urged postponement of religious and other social gatherings of more than 50 people. Mr Makinde leads the state’s task force against coronavirus.
It was unclear whether the state has commenced enforcement of its restrictions on social gatherings. Taiwo Adisa, Governor Makinde’s spokesperson, did not answer calls to his phone Sunday morning.
In Lagos on Saturday, several events centres were shut down by officials for apparent violation of safety guidelines against coronavirus.
