COVID-19 3rd Wave: Nigerian govt places six states, FCT on red alert These steps are critical as we begin to see worrisome early signs of increasing cases in Nigeria, officials say. Following the emergence of the Delta variant of coronavirus infection in the country and the rising number of new cases and hospitalisations, the Nigerian government has put six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a red alert. The affected states, which are spread across four of the country’s six geopolitical zones of South-west, South-south, North-West and North-central are Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the nation’s capital, FCT.