Cartoon monster helps explain coronavirus to Nigerian children

LAGOS, April 20 (Reuters) - It is hard enough for adults to
get their heads around the coronavirus, but for children it can
be even more difficult to understand why they can't see their
friends or play outside.
That is where Niyi Akinmolayan's cartoon monster comes in.
The Nigerian filmmaker has created a 90-second animation
to help youngsters understand why they have to stay at home
after schools in Lagos were shut from March 23 and public
gatherings were banned to stem the spread of the disease.
It tells the story of two siblings, Habeeb and Funke. Habeeb
gets tired of staying at home and decides to sneak out to play
soccer. His older sister Funke warns him not go out, but he
insists, only to be confronted by a monster.
Akinmolayan, best known for directing "The Wedding Party 2",
Nigeria's highest grossing movie, said he was inspired after
several attempts to explain the lockdown to his 5-year-old son.
"But he still didn't get it until I kind of changed the
narrative and said the coronavirus actually looks like a big
monster and it is out there in the street and if you go it will
catch you," he told Reuters.
The message seems to have sunk in with some children who
have seen the video.
"My favourite part was when the boy opened the door and saw
the coronavirus, the monster, outside, and he slammed the door
and had to go inside, and now I know that this is not the right
time to go anywhere or outside," said Ezichi Nwaogu, 9, watching
with her sister at their Lagos home.
Akinmolayan made the animation through his production
company, Anthill Studios, using a 10-strong crew all working
separately from their homes.
It is being distributed for free and can be downloaded in
English, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, French and Swahili. It is showing
on some terrestrial television stations.
As of Sunday, Nigeria had recorded 627 cases of the virus
and 21 people have died, including the president's chief of
staff.