TheCable

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has advised the federal government to design a lockdown exit plan.

In its COVID-19 exit strategy for the economy proposal signed by Adetokunbo Kayode, its president, the association urged the federal government not to extend the current lockdown beyond April 27, 2020.

The federal government had extended the lockdown by two weeks after an initial 14-day lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The extended lockdown is scheduled to expire on April 27, 2020.

The chamber said extending the lockdown beyond the April 27, 2020 deadline was not sustainable.

The chamber called for the designing and implementation of an exit strategy as a prelude to reopening the national economy.

“The situation report from underprivileged grassroots areas, city suburbs and inner-city areas indicate increasing restlessness among those whose livelihood depends on daily pay or trading,” the proposal read.

“It is agreed that the lockdown was occasioned by the dire need to contain the pandemic.

“But by now, the conclusion of the third week of the lockdown, there are urgent calls for the designing of an exit strategy.

“This is expected to combine the continuation of procedures to contain and reduce further spread of the pandemic as well as reduce the present serious socioeconomic problems facing the populace.

“We support mandatory use of face masks and permit the use of scarves or any cloth where there is no face mask in public places, public transport, market places, open places.”

On Wednesday, governors agreed to ban movement between states for two weeks as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.