After the index case and subsequent lockdown order, Nigerians have paid attention to the daily “live scores” of new cases posted by NCDC. In the past week, people on social media have suggested that they can’t be bothered with the scores. On one hand, we are worried that the NCDC is not testing enough samples in a day, now some Patients are in doubt of the credibility of the test results. Last I checked we were not testing up to 1500 in a day. The contact tracing is taking forever and we don’t have the social system and infrastructure to sustain a lock.
Last night, I was pulled over by the Police, he wasn’t wearing his face mask, I was talking to an officer who put me at risk. Anyway, I told him why I was out that late and he let me go. As I drove off I wondered the rationale behind the 8pm curfew, did we get advisory from Wuhan that the Virus is more active at Night? I don’t see any sense in the curfew. If we are acting any foreign script, let us understand the strategy, some may not be applicable in our context. If you want to copy what strategies other countries are using to curtail the spread of Corona Virus, do a comparative analysis of countries and adopt those of countries with similar socio-economic structures that are effective.
COVID-19 has exposed the “indecent” living and poor quality of life in Nigeria. We can’t be copying strategies from the UK, Europe, and America when we don’t even have the systems in place to model our public health to theirs. I may be sounding like a broken record, how do you tell people in overcrowded buildings to practice social distancing?
It seems People in Government don’t know how people live. In face-me-I-face-you people sleep next to each other, 7–10 people living in a room. Over 50 people sharing a bathroom, are you going to change that overnight?
By the way, I am speaking from experience, I have tried to imagine what social distancing means for those in that situation. I have been there before!
While the Government is busy dishing out “unrealistic” guidelines, the poor can’t be bothered because they are helpless and can only mutter “na God hand we dey”. In addition to placing their hope in God, some have already started local vaccination with “Agbo”, local herbs are being taken to ward off the virus. These local herbs may appear efficacious but when uncontrolled, it could mean they are endangering their organs. Who will regulate traditional herbs? I hope like Madagascar we can take a scientific approach to traditional medicine.
Beyond housing, our transportation system in Nigeria makes it difficult for us to practice healthy social Behaviour. Take a minute and imagine how we have enabled and perpetuated an unhealthy transportation system. From Rickety “Molue” buses carrying over 100 passengers. 80 siting and 50+ standing, some even hanging by the door. Dirty buses and uncomfortable yellow cabs. How do you enforce social distancing overnight when this is a system the Government has allowed over time.
There are more car owners in Nigeria because one of the ways you move yourself up in the social stratification is by owning a car. After all, you don’t want to be seen “jumping bus”. Thank God for Uber and Bolt, some people can attempt the “big man’s” life.
In Europe, owning a car doesn’t change your social class, the buses, tram, and train system is decent and reliable. When we go to London, we use the bus, train and use the tubes. You can easily see your Vice-Chancellor in a bus our Government officials drive expensive cars and move about in convoys, funds that would have been put into good use for our common good. Now they want to teach the poor how to live with policies and proposed legislation that are out of touch with our present reality. I am looking forward to the public hearing on the Infectious Disease bill, hopefully, I will have an opportunity to share the antipoor part of the bill that most commentators are not talking about.
During the lockdown, it did not take the Government time to relax the opening of markets. People had to get food, it is a basic human need but are our markets designed with public health considerations? NO! Have you been to Mile 12 market before and major markets in Lagos? You can actually contact other forms of disease from most Nigerian markets. Have you seen abbatoir in Nigeria, if you think of the dirty environment and the modus of processing meat and other food products in Nigeria, we should all be dead by Now! Compare a typical market in Nigeria and Europe.
When I first arrived in the UK, I used to shop at the cooperative shops, it is interesting to know how the UK Food processing and supply chain works. We the consumers don’t know all the details of how the food gets to the shelves. So it is easy for stores to control entry as it is already organized. The only fairly decent market I know in Nigeria is the Garki market in Abuja, Wuse market is trying to look organized but in terms of health and safety all the markets in Nigeria are not up to global standards. The rich manage to do groceries from Spar, Shoprite, Grandsquare, Sahad stores, and other “supermarket”. Even the rich still send domestic staff to get other foodstuffs from local markets. So, market is life in Nigeria
I am not hearing Government, civil society, and opinion shapers talking about how we will address some of the existing social systems that endanger public health in Nigeria. From poor housing to transportation, social amenities, and lack of social safety net. We may avoid this conversation and revert to normal Post-COVID 19, but these issues will continue to pose a risk to all of us. Our current budgetary allocation needs to be reviewed to give priority to areas that have shown how vulnerable we are as a people. Invest in health, education, housing, and address the management of social security programs. The government at all levels must cut frivolous spending. Lawmakers can sit and propose legislations without an enabling environment to implement such laws and policies but they must be willing to sacrifice and reduce the cost of lawmaking in Nigeria. This is actually a good time for us to consider part-time lawmaking. In addition, the lawmakers should be willing to help in cutting the cost of Governance by supporting the implementation of a “revised Oronsaye” report”. We need to take the lessons from COVID-19 and fix the problems in our country or it will be a missed opportunity. For now, we presently don’t have a very reliable strategy to curtail the virus, so we can continue to say “Baba God na your hand we dey”.
