Entertainment Africa

Nigerians shake off coronavirus lockdown boredom with group exercise

The bored and the brave have taken over the six-lane highways of Nigeria’s capital, now on coronavirus lockdown.

Vehicles in Abuja are mostly gone. In their place: hundreds of people doing group workouts with little concern for a disease that has so far killed 10 and infected 300 in Nigeria.

“Since the lockdown, we are just at home doing nothing, no work, no food, nothing, nothing, so we decided to come and exercise our body instead of us sitting at home and just getting fat,” said Akinyemi Busayo, a trader, who was doing aerobics and other exercises in a group.

Behind Busayo, dozens of people lined a footbridge spanning one of Abuja’s massive highways, doing sit-ups as a stream of runners jogged between them.

The government has ordered people to remain indoors and isolate themselves unless they need essentials such as food, water or medical services.

But enforcement has varied from the draconian – with security agents beating and arresting even health workers they found outside – to non-existent, as with the sportswear-clad crowds in Abuja.

“For me I believe it is not yet here in this my vicinity,” said Agboola Sabinat, a student, referring to the novel coronavirus.

“Everyone is scared, like my mom she is scared, she is like I should not go out for this work-out, that they said everybody should be at home, that we should just keep cool and stay at home, but I can’t,” Sabinat said.

 

Source: reuters.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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