The United Kingdom is set to remove Nigeria and 10 other countries from its COVID-19 red list. 

Sajid Javid, UK’s Health Secretary who made this known to the House of Commons on Tuesday, said the ban was “less effective in slowing the incursion” of Omicron hence the decision to lift it.

“If, as I think is likely, we see many more infections and this variant becomes the dominant variant, there will be less need to have any kind of travel restrictions at all,” Mr Javid said. 

The removal of Nigeria from the red list would become effective 4:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 15.

Although this decision means Nigerians visiting UK would no longer pay £2,285 to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days, all COVID-19 measures remain in place.

On the issue of possible reimbursement for those who have already quarantined in a hotel, Mr Javid said he could not give an answer yet as government was still deliberating on it.

“I would love to stand here right now and just say that is the case, but there are some issues that need to be resolved, and they are urgently being looked at.

“I hope we can say something more on this as a government, potentially even as early as today,” he added. 

On December 5, Nigeria was placed on UK’s red list alongside Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Eswatini and Angola as part of effort to curtail the spread of Omicron.