Some medical based unions in Nigeria have cautioned the Nigerian Federal Government against the planned reopening of schools from 18th January. These include the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN). They urged the government to ensure a balance between resumption and adherence to the extant safety protocols as stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The unions noted with dismay the utter disregard to the safety measures by some Nigerians. According to them, reopening schools without proper sensitisation and enforcement of safety and non-pharmaceutical interventions like regular hand washing or used of sanitisers, proper wearing of face masks and maintenance of social and physical distancing, will only put school children at the risk of COVID-19 infections. In an interview with The Nation newspaper, NMA President Prof Innocent Ujah said: “Unfortunately with COVID-19 we do not know the right time. The reality is that parents want their children to go to school, and the school proprietors, particularly the private sector, want their schools to be reopened. “What we are saying is that we do not know the definite outcome of COVID-19; we do not know how long it is going to stay for. So, it is appropriate to balance this with the national economy including schooling. “But there is something that we should do which we are not doing. If we comply with the NCDC protocol, which will provide the basic requirements and compliance, then we can say that we will reduce the likely infectivity for covid-19. The way it is now, that cannot be guaranteed. The government should enforce the compliance so that when the schools resume, we do not subject our children and teachers to unnecessary risks.” To NARD President Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, the reopening of schools is danger in the waiting. He said, “I feel that the government is making a mistake with the recent proposed opening of schools in the next few days. It will be insensitive because they have not made any provision as ways of precautionary measures to stop the second wave of the COVID-19, and they have not given instructions to any institution be it schools, nurses and military among others. “I am even more surprised that even the law that the government brought in that stated that level 12 officials in the government should stay at home is not being obeyed. Most government parastatals are disobeying it. I was surprised when I went to the University of Benin, and found out that they are all going to work – from level five to level 12. Now we are going to make our children go to school. Remember that over 700 NYSC members got infected with COVID-19 recently. “Also in Nasarawa State Teaching Hospital, over 20 doctors were infected. We have not taken care of all these yet, now you want our children to go to school without any precautionary measures. I think it is a disaster waiting. “We need to sensitise Nigerians because we still go around everywhere and see people not wearing their face masks. If you go to LUTH and other centres, the deaths that are occurring are increasing every day and they are under-recording the deaths. What is the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 doing about those? Are there personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the government hospitals? “I am also aware that recently, the Minister said that every healthcare worker that does not go to see his or her patient will be queried and will have to face the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). “How can you say they should go and face the MDCN, when you have not provided what they need to face their patients with? In more developed parts of the world, they are doing everything they can to ensure that the healthcare workers have all they need to treat their patients and also to make sure that people stay at home and try to find ways to prevent infection from COVID-19. What has the Nigerian government done? These are the things that I think our government needs to be looking at instead of opening schools and making our children get infected. If you go to LUTH, Irrua Teaching Hospital, etc., they will tell you that people die regularly. Opening of schools is therefore a danger in the waiting.” The NANNM President, Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji, said: “The main purpose why they asked students to stay at home was to curb the spread of the disease. What we understand now is that they have told most of the schools to resume, whereas there are spikes in the occurrence of COVID-19. So, there are two very critical points to be considered.