Domestic flights took off in Nigeria on Wednesday (July 8) in the latest step to lift Africa's biggest economy.

Airports were opened in the capital Abuja and megacity Lagos, with other cities to follow over the next week.

Nigeria has been hit hard by low oil prices and the economic damage wrought by lockdown measures

No date has been given for the resumption of international flights and at an airport in Abuja, only a relatively small number were waiting to travel according to passenger Daniel Ogbole.

"They are trying their best but I can see the airport is very empty... very empty for now, people are not rushing but some of us that have very important meetings to attend we are the ones travelling right now.''

Safety measures have been brought in including the decontamination of luggage and passengers having their temperatures taken.

Henriette Yakubu, a general manager at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, urged members of the public to cooperate.

"We are not out to punish anybody we are not out to make people stay as long as possible in our airports no. We are interested in their safety.''

Despite efforts to kickstart the economy, health officials have expressed fears that the outbreak in Africa's most populous country could get worse.

As of Wednesday, Nigeria had nearly 30,000 cases of COVID-19 and 669 death - with little sign of slowing.