The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says COVID-19 tests conducted in facilities within its molecular laboratory network are free.

The centre made its position known in a message posted on its verified Twitter handle @NCDCgov.

The clarification came at a time some parents of pupils in private secondary schools in Ogun State protested government requirement that returning pupils undergo COVID-19 test which costs N25,000.

They were said to have protested at the MTR Specialist Hospital, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the designated place for the pupils in Abeokuta to get tested.

But the NCDC listed 61 laboratories nationwide as those who are currently within the network, where such tests could be conducted free.

The message read in part, “Kindly note that COVID-19 tests conducted in facilities within the NCDC molecular laboratory network are free of charge (sic).”

The centre listed the laboratories to include two at the State Specialist Hospital, Amachara in Abia State; Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa; Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Akwa Ibom State; Accunalysis Medical Diagnostics, Anambra; COOUTH Awka Abbott Laboratory; Bauchi State Reference Laboratory, Bauchi; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital; 161 AHM Laboratory, Benue; and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno.

In Lagos, there are Virology Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Nigeria Institute for Medical Research; Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory; 54gene Lagos; and the NCDC Central Public Health Laboratory.

In Abuja, there are the NCDC National Reference Laboratory; Defence Reference Laboratory; FCT – 54gene; State House Annex Clinic Laboratory; University of Abuja, Gwagwalada Laboratory; and United Nations IOM Laboratory.