THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IT’S RAMIFICATIONS ON THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY

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By David Samuel
   
    
   The Global Lockdown of 2020 will always be regarded as one of the red-letter moments of the 21st century, it’s mark on the sands of time will not be forgotten in the course of human existence. The CoronaVirus Pandemic has ravaged everything in its path from lives to economic stability to personal freedom. The world is on a frantic quest for the antidote, but with no cure in sight, we can only pray for this impending doom to be averted. Nations of the world have taken measures to ensure that the effect of this disaster is cushioned and mitigated, meanwhile, at the center of this perturbation lies the proverbial giant of Africa, our fatherland, NIGERIA. 

Corona Virus Ravaging The Globe
        
    The most populous black nation in the world has suffered unbearable repercussions from the pandemic, with over 33,000 cases and a constant rise in the death toll. Several sectors of the contemporary Nigerian society have come to a stand-still, ranging from the economy to the education sector to tourism & even the entertainment industry. The most delicate part of any nation’s existence is its economy and for a developing nation like Nigeria, the COVID-19 pandemic has worked untold hardships on the livelihood and financial stability of the country and its citizens. It is expedient to note that the economy revolves around human interaction and with the precautionary measures like social distancing, interaction between individuals has been greatly dissuaded, in turn an economy which is fueled by an interplay of human connection loses its essence and eventually it’s productivity. In essence, it is safe to say that the loss of human interaction as a result of this pestilence is at the core of the nation’s economic problems 
                        
                            
Hopes for food security diminished 

The pandemic has crippled the informal sector of the economy as a high percentage of the population live on a “hand to mouth” basis and with the restriction protocol put in place by the government, a lot of small scale businesses & micro enterprises are heading for a pitfall. Also, international trade has hit a rock-bottom as there are low rates of import & export globally which has led to a rapid drop in the stock market prices. The academic world is in a cesspool of inactivity, students & their tutors are idle as a result of the pandemic. Some schools have embraced e-learning while some state governments have turned to the mass media  like radio & television to educate pupils and students but these methods are not really effective considering the power situation in the country. Tourism & Entertainment, the vertebrae of Nigeria’s culture & heritage have also suffered from this harsh eventuality. As a result of the closure of borders and airports, tourism is on an all time low. Also, the entertainment industry which is majorly characterized with gatherings such as concerts, movie premieres is on a lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked insurmountable havoc in Nigeria and the world at large but as they say “every problem must have a solution”. 

WHO distributing Covid-19 relief materials
The best step to be taken to help the Nigerian situation is digitization, the world is now at a digital age and we must adapt and follow the tide. The pandemic has opened our eyes to the future of work with the advent of video conferencing apps like Zoom & GoTo which has exposed the fact that individuals can work from home and still be effective. Also, businesses should embrace digital marketing and wield the power of social media to their advantage so as to promote the sale of their goods & provision of services. E-learning should be institutionalized so as to resurrect the educational sector into a functionalist one. Movie producers should look to on-demand sites such as Netflix & Showmax to get their content out as cinemas are closed. Digitization is the best vaccine to the nation’s economic hardships. 







e-learning during the lockdown
The second solution is more favorable economic policies. In order to recover from any recession, good economic policies must be put in place, policies that will be mutually beneficial to the populace and the nation such as lower export rates, tax concessions for SMEs, massive employment to curb the retrenchment problem in order to boost production & productivity. 


Finally, The third solution is enforcement & observance of the precautionary measures. Presently, the government is not doing enough to enforce social distancing, the use of face-masks and other safety measures. I feel that if security agencies are tasked with strict enforcement of these measures, we’ll have a stunted spread. Also, we the citizens have an obligation to observe these safety measures in order to reduce the spread, preserve our health & lives and place us on course for a return to normalcy & prevalence. The Corona virus Pandemic has caused great tribulations for Nigeria but I believe that with doggedness & synergy, we’ll rise like a phoenix and soar above this perilous times. 



You could also listen to this very rich podcast by the same author on The Radiant Sun titled "Life in a Post COVID -19 Era"  The link is below
https://anchor.fm/theradiantsun/episodes/Life-in-a-Post-Covid-19-Era-eg293k




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