COVID-19: Cases of B117 variant in Nigeria increase Published Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemers University have detected additional six COVID-19 B117 variants. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC, made the confirmation on Monday in Abuja at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing. The variant was discovered in six samples – five from Osun and one from Kwara. The coronavirus type first emerged in the United Kingdom. “The five in Osun is most likely related to the fact that this is where ACEGID is and where they get a lot of samples from.