Since July, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which is agitating for the secession of a swath of the southeast that is home to the Igbo ethnic group, has issued sit-at-home directives to people across the region. Like Nwankwo, many residents of the region say the lockdowns are now having a severe economic impact on them. A survey carried out in the region by Lagos-based geopolitical advisory firm SBM Intelligence found that two-thirds of respondents felt their productivity was extremely affected by the restrictions. Charles Soludo, the state’s governor-elect and a former head of Nigeria’s central bank, has said the state loses an estimated $47.70m every day of lockdowns. In Ebonyi, the governor was more conservative, putting the figure at $24.34m in losses.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA