Barely 24 hours after Nigeria recorded its first case of Coronavirus, scarcity of sanitisers, face masks and other protective apparel has hit major cities in Nigeria, including Lagos and Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES survey also showed that prices of the protective and basic safety apparel has since skyrocketed, amid rising demand.
On Friday, many Nigerians took to their social media handles to recount their experiences, with frustrating accounts of the difficulties encountered in getting basic safety materials.
Julius Bokoru, a Facebook user, took to his page to recount how it was difficult for him to get a face mask in Abuja, the federal capital city, on Friday.
“Drove virtually round Abuja this morning in search of face masks and hand sanitizpser,” he wrote. “All sold out within a few hours. Na Abuja o, no be Lagos sef.”
READ ALSO: Mohammad Ali Dastak, member of Iranian parliament dies of Coronavirus
Amid the frustration, Kate Ege, another Facebook user, sought recommendations on how she could get the materials in bulk on Friday in Lagos.
She posted: “Where can I buy hand sanitiser in bulk? Location: Lagos. It’s needed urgently…”
On Twitter, many Nigerians lamented the scarcity of the various safety materials in Lagos and Abuja. Others made jokes and hilarious memes of the attendant frustration experienced by those seeking the products.
Ladon, a Twitter user, wrote: “I trust my Lagos hustler as from tomorrow you will start seeing hand sanitiser for sale in Lagos traffic #CoronaVirusUpdates.”
When PREMIUM TIMES visited Addax Shopping Mall in Agidingbi area of Ikeja on Friday night, store attendants told our reporter that there had been a rise in the demand for the safety apparel.
“We have sold almost all the units of sanitisers and face masks we have in this mall,” said an attendant who didn’t want her name in print. “The demand has been quite high and we may run out of stock before the weekend.”
