The 36 state governors in Nigeria have recommended a two-week national inter-state lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the governors on Wednesday, a day after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control confirmed 117 new coronavirus cases in the country with total infections rising to 782.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, said the inter-state lockdown would help halt the continued rise in the number of cases as well as the spread of the pandemic.

According to him, the governors also resolved to set up COVID-19 committees at the regional level to be headed by health commissioners.

Channels Television reports that the news comes a day after Governor Fayemi said the governors were very concerned about the spread of the disease and warned that the country was in for a long ride in the battle against the pandemic.

“We are very concerned. If you look at the number of times we met over the last one month. We’ve had five meetings which focused almost exclusively on COVID-19 and its spread and the concomitant economic effects on the Nigerian citizens,” Governor Fayemi had said when asked about the situation.

He, however, said the governors were trying to use all their capacity to fight the pandemic.

To complement the actions of the government, he called on Nigerians to play their part and follow directives and protocols.

“I don’t think we have reached the peak yet. So, Nigerians need to take this very seriously. This is not entertainment,” he warned.