NIGERIA will allow federal government schools to reopen from October 12, while schools run by states and private owners may open on their own timetables, the education minister has announced. New COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, have steadily fallen in recent weeks, according to official data. The education minister, Adamu Adamu, said the drop spurred the decision to reopen schools. "Since the beginning of September 2020, we have witnessed a considerable decline in the rate of infections," Adamu said in a statement. The Oct 12 date affects 104 federal institutes known as Unity colleges. The reopening of…