“The Zombie Protocol”: How Nigerian Companies Still Use COVID to Block Student Tours in 2026
LAGOS — It is the year 2026. The masks are off, the airports are full, and the stadiums are packed. Yet, for Nigerian students trying to visit the country’s biggest factories, the pandemic never ended.
An investigation by nuus.ng has uncovered a worrying trend across the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Major manufacturers are systematically rejecting requests for educational excursions by citing “Federal Government COVID-19 Protocols” that were lifted over three years ago.
Education stakeholders are calling it the “Zombie Protocol”—a dead rule kept alive by corporate giants to cut costs, avoid liability, and dodge Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The real victims of this corporate stonewalling are the students. According to an industry source within the National Association of Science Students (NASS), who asked not to be named to prevent victimization, the situation is an “educational crisis.” “We are studying Engineering on paper,” the student leader lamented. “We read about pasteurization and assembly lines, but when we ask to see the machines, they tell us ‘COVID’. Yet, the same directors flying these policies are traveling to Dubai and London without masks. It is a corporate lie.”
The “Wink and Nod” Policy
The confusion is palpable at the factory gates. While official rejection cite strict health mandates, frontline staff tell a different story.
- The Scenario: At the reception of several top confectionery and food processing plants in Lagos, security teams turn students away citing “Management Policy on COVID.”
- The Leak: However, inside sources and front desk officers are quietly encouraging schools to “drop their letters” anyway.
- The implication: “Submit it. Management may make an exception,” is the whispered advice. This discretionary “exception” proves the smoking gun: if a federal health ban truly existed in 2026, no exceptions would be legally possible. The “virus” has become a convenient administrative filter.
The Open Doors: NBC & NCC Lead the Way
The hypocrisy of the “COVID Excuse” is exposed when compared to industry peers who have fully reopened.
- NBC: The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) has thrown its gates wide open. Just last week, the company launched the 2026 edition of its “Youth Empowered” program at UNILAG, actively running factory tours and training sessions in seven cities.
- NCC: Similarly, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has updated its guidelines to explicitly invite schools to its Museum and Space Services Centre.
- The Verdict: If NBC and NCC can host students safely in 2026, why can’t the rest of the manufacturing sector?
Killing STEM on Paper
The real victims of this corporate stonewalling are the students. According to an industry source within the National Association of Science Students (NASS), who asked not to be named to prevent victimization, the situation is an “educational crisis.” “We are studying Engineering on paper,” the student leader lamented. “We read about pasteurization and assembly lines, but when we ask to see the machines, they tell us ‘COVID’. Yet, the same directors flying these policies are traveling to Dubai and London without masks. It is a corporate lie.”
The Real Reasons?
Industry analysts suggest three reasons why the “Zombie Protocol” persists:
- Cost Cutting: Hosting excursions requires staff time, insurance, and refreshments. “COVID” is a free excuse to say no.
- Trade Secrets: In a hyper-competitive 2026 market, companies are paranoid about industrial espionage disguised as “student visits.”
- Liability Fear: Companies fear being sued if a student is injured on a factory floor.
Whatever the reason, the “COVID” excuse has expired. It is time for Corporate Nigeria to either open the gates or tell students the truth.