UPDATE 5-Top Nigerian president aide, state governor test positive for coronavirus

* Bauchi state governor also tests positive for virus
* Lagos state to close markets, stock exchange to shut
office
* Hundreds of Nollywood stars exposed at awards show

(Adds presidency spokesman and diplomats)
By Paul Carsten and Alexis Akwagyiram
ABUJA, March 24 (Reuters) - The Nigerian president's
influential chief of staff has tested positive for coronavirus,
a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.
Abba Kyari, who is in his 70s, is an important figure in
President Muhammadu Buhari's government and his illness could
have ramifications for the running of the country.
His case was one of a growing number in Nigeria, Africa's
most populous nation, with a state governor also testing
positive and the Lagos state health commissioner warning that
they were beginning to see the virus "spread in the community".
Previously, most cases were travellers who had recently
returned from the United Kingdom or the United States.
Kyari has a history of medical complications, including
diabetes, and is the gatekeeper to the president. Many who wish
to deal with Buhari must go through Kyari, including Nigeria's
top politicians and business owners.
Matthew Page, an associate fellow with the Africa Programme
at Chatham House, described Kyari as the "lynchpin" of the
Buhari government. "This has the potential to further slow down
decision-making within top tiers of Nigerian government," he
said.
Kyari travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation
of other Nigerian officials for meetings with engineering and
industrial giant Siemens AG.
It is unclear if Kyari, who three diplomats also said had
tested positive for coronavirus, self-isolated upon his return
to Nigeria. Germany has reported some 27,000 cases of
coronavirus and 114 deaths from the pandemic.
A presidency spokesman did not comment on Kyari's condition
and whether Buhari has been tested. The president, 77, has
undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for
treatment in 2017.
Later on Tuesday, a Bauchi state government spokesman said
Governor Bala Mohammed had also been diagnosed with coronavirus
and was in quarantine.
As of Tuesday, Nigeria had 42 confirmed cases of
coronavirus, two of whom had recovered, and one death - a
67-year-old former oil official. It was unclear if Kyari or
Mohammed's diagnoses were included in that total.
The number of journalists allowed access to the presidential
office complex will be cut indefinitely from more than 100 to 13
starting Wednesday, the presidency said late on Tuesday with all
foreign media barred.
And parliament was adjourned for two weeks.
The Nigeria Stock Exchange said its trading floors would
close temporarily, only allowing remote trading.
Lagos state Commissioner for Health Professor Akin Abayomi
warned that hundreds of Africa's top film stars could have been
exposed to coronavirus at the African Magic Viewers' Choice
Award on March 14.
Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced that all
parks, gyms and public markets in the commercial capital, apart
from those selling food, water, medicine or "other essential
life-saving products", would close on Thursday for at least
seven days.
He stopped short, however, of calling for a total lockdown,
citing the many among Lagos's 20 million residents who could not
afford to stock up on essential items.
"We know what our poverty line is, and I'm a very realistic
leader," he said. "We need to be considerate of that."

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Former oil official is Nigeria's first coronavirus fatality
-NCDC ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>