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Nigeria will start easing a coronavirus lockdown covering its largest city Lagos and capital Abuja from May 4, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday.
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"I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures," Buhari said in a televised broadcast.
He unveiled new measures including a nationwide night-time curfew, mandatory wearing of facemasks and a ban on "non-essential" travel between different regions.
He also announced an immediate two-week lockdown in northern Nigeria's largest city Kano after officials said they were probing a spate of "mysterious deaths".
More than 25 million residents in Abuja, Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state have been under federal lockdown since March 30 and other states have introduced their own restrictions.
Brisk business for Nigerians selling face masks
The government faces a difficult balancing act trying to curb the spread of the virus and contain growing the desperation of vast numbers living hand to mouth in Africa's most populous country.
"Such lockdowns have also come at a very heavy economic cost," Buhari said in the address.
"Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down."
He said the new measures were "implementable policies that will ensure our economy continues to function while still maintaining our aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic".
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