COVID-19: Contingency plans and remote working

Nigeria, the pandemic ravaging the country is as much a blessing, considering how it will trigger the needed overdue change in business, media, health, education and a number of other areas.

Reflecting on the Nigerian socio-political structure and economy, you would quite agree that the nation is greatly lagging behind. It is quite unfortunate that the government is not prepared for a time like this. Also, Nigerians have to reshape their lives and ideologies.

Imagine a country where its leaders and affluent have to fly abroad for medical treatment every now and then because of the deplorable state of its healthcare facilities which could rather be fairly described as obsolete, ill-equipped and overcrowded.

Now, the government is using fire-brigade approach to patch things up especially because its officials are equally affected by the pandemic. Our leaders have no contingency plans or policies to forestall or manage disasters unlike several countries which have extraordinary measures in place for times like this.

This is not a plot to vilify the government of the day. Nonetheless, one has to know where he or she is going wrong in order to make amend. Our leaders need to be more open, concerned and responsible rather than being corrupt and using anticorruption crusade as a facade.

It is awful to think that people are expected to remain at home while nothing has been said about the country making provision for its dwellers in an economy of a larger population feeding from hand to mouth.

However, it is a wakeup call for the government to put structures in place to address issues such as the one currently bedevilling the country and other nations of the world. Nigeria has the financial strength to withstand and overcome any situation that may arise but our leaders have to be prepared by being diligent, proactive and witful.

The economy has been affected due to businesses temporarily shutting down because many business owners are unfamiliar with working from home (remote work); it is too passive in their opinion. They prefer when they can see all their staff at the office even if their work does not actually require physical presence. So, improvising at this time for the employers and employees is quite a daunting task.

I was dismayed to hear that some radio stations in the nation’s capital have ceased broadcasting due to the outbreak in an era of podcast and internet radio. Schools are supposed to hold online lectures and exams to avoid a disruption of the academic calendar rather than an abrupt closure, endangering children and youths to the whims of idleness. But how good or affordable is our internet service?

How does all these affect the country and could it really propel positive change and advancement? First, the health sector is receiving a face-lift as a result of the pandemic and the fact that there are top officials at the helm of affairs who are affectees. Also, the government has been campaigning that people should work from home in order to suppress the spread of the virus and sustain their jobs.

Remote working would help to improve the lives of individuals, provide more job opportunities and bring about economic growth because professionals would now be able to work from home, spend more time with their families and could also get hired by more than one firm. The media would also put more effort in new media; e-news, podcast, internet radio and telly.

With the trend of business fast changing in Nigeria due to the pandemic, the country is gradually moving towards globalisation and there would be a shift of wealth to those who can best exploit the situation. I strongly recommend that the government should also provide remote jobs as a means of promoting the idea.

As the situation stands, Nigeria is most likely able to soon recover from the debilitating effect of the virus by totally eradicating it and rejigging the economy if the right steps are taking without selfishness or compromise.

The government, media and NGO’s should sensitise people and emphasise the need to maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle not just for the period of the virus but beyond. Nigerians at this time, more than ever should be law abiding and keep to all public health guidelines and instructions.

This is a time to consider improving your IT skills owing to the fact that businesses would be more digitalised and computerised when the heat is down. Being adept with computer operation or at least having basic skills on it would be a plus in any workspace.

While we hope for the situation to get better, let us pray that God should heal our land and also take time to think of how we can improve our lives and contribute to the growth and development of the nation.

 Momodu Jnr writes from

Abuja via 08036260909

Reallancesepeaks@gmail

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