The Federal Government Tuesday directed all public and private primary and secondary schools to remain closed till Oct. 13. The Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, gave the directive after a meeting with Commissioners for Education in Abuja.

“The minister and all commissioners met today, August 26, to discuss issues related to the reopening of schools for the new academic year vis-à-vis the Ebola epidemic issue.

“At the end of the meeting, the following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students in our schools throughout the federation.

“All primary and secondary schools both public and private are to remain closed until Monday, Oct. 13, 2014, which is the new resumption date for all schools throughout the federation.

“This is to ensure that adequate measures are put in place before the students report back to school,’’ the minister said, adding that the meeting also agreed that all Ministries of Education should immediately organise training for at least two staff in each public and private school. He said schools must ensure that the training was given by appropriate health personnel on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The training must be concluded not later than September 15. He also ordered the immediate suspension of ongoing summer classes conducted by some private schools. Shekarau said that all tertiary institutions were advised to suspend exchange of staff and students’ programmes, visits, and major international seminars and workshops until further notice.

Meanwhile Nigeria has successfully reduced the number of Ebola cases in the country to one from 13 cases earlier recorded, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.

As of Tuesday, only one Ebola patient remained in isolation in Nigeria, down from the 13 cases the country confirmed since the outbreak of the virus in July, Chukwu said at a press conference.

The deadly virus was first brought to Nigeria 38 days ago by a Liberian-American man, Patrick Sawyer. Mr. Sawyer later died, but after health workers who treated him had contracted the virus.

The minister said so far Nigeria has had 13 cases including the index case. Five of those infected died, while seven have successfully recovered and were discharged.

Two of the nurses who managed Mr. Sawyer were discharged Monday at the isolation centre in Lagos, Chukwu said. He said Nigeria has been able to curtail Ebola in the country.

All the 129 people who were under surveillance have completed the 21day observation incubation period and only one person was found to be symptomatic and is still being observed, he added.