Coronavirus is not the first pandemic in the history of the world, and sadly may not be the last, but its implications on our social and economic exploitation will remain in books for the next generation to digest.
For those who still misunderstand and consumed by conspiracy theories going round, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is real; it is an infectious disease caused by a deadly virus. The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell.
It started from China’s industrial city of Wuhan, where thousands have died there before it crossed other developed and developing nations around the world. US President, Donald Trump predicted/warned that there will be a lot of death” as his country continue facing “toughest outbreak” in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
His comments came as the total number of Coronavirus cases in the U.S. rose to over 300,000, with the number of deaths at more than 8,000, according to NBC News’ tally. Globally, the death toll is more than 65,000, according to John Hopkins University.
Throughout history, there have been a number of pandemics of diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death (also known as The Plague), which killed an estimated 75–200 million people in the 14th century, threatened to wipe out human race. Other notable pandemics include the 1918 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu) and the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1).
When COVID19 broke in world’s most populous nation, China, many never knew it existed. Now the Covid19 virus has spread to almost every country, infecting at least 3,000,000 people whom the authorities know about, and many more who do not. It has crashed economies due to stoppage of all international trade and broken health-care systems. Hospitals treating conventional illness are now filled with Coronavirus patients. It has separated people from their workplaces, churches, mosques and shrine. It has disrupted modern society on a scale that most living people have never witnessed. Countries with advanced health care facilities are crying for additional help of doctors, nurses and medical kits to get rid of the virus.
The Aftermath of World War II, like any other incidence that ravages economy, is an eye opener for African nations, because it was the beginning of a new era in World History, defined by the decline of all European Colonial Empires and simultaneous rise of two superpowers i.e United States of America and the Soviet Union (USSR). Though the two countries became competitors on the world stage and engaged in the Cold War, it never resulted in overt, declared hot war between the two powers but was instead characterized by espionage, political subversion and proxy wars.
By the end of the war, the European economy had collapsed with over 70% of its industrial infrastructure destroyed. The property damage in the Soviet Union consisted of complete or partial destruction of 1,710 cities and towns, 70,000 villages and hamlets, and 31,850 industrial establishments. The strength of the economic recovery following the war varied throughout the world, though in general, it was quite robust, particularly in the United States.
The post–World War II economic expansion, known as the “golden age of capitalism” and the postwar economic boom was a broad period of worldwide shortly after World War and ended during the 1973–1975 worldwide economic recession. The United States, Soviet Union, Western European and East Asian countries in particular experienced unusually high and sustained growth, together with full employment because the realized the importance in investing their wealth in Art, Sporting and Technology. In fact, the rise of sporting activities has significantly reduced the burden of high rate of employment in European countries.
African nations, with the exception of Ethiopia and Egypt, at that period were battling to opt-out from the hands of their colonial masters, who on the other hand, were working to stabilize their broken economy and international relation.
Consumed with post-war debt, European powers were no longer able to afford the resources needed to maintain control of their African colonies. This allowed for African nationalists to negotiate decolonization very quickly and with minimal casualties. There was widespread unrest and organized revolts in both Northern and sub-Saharan colonies, especially in French Algeria, Portuguese Angola, the Belgian Congo and British Kenya.
Nigeria, largest country in African continent is battling to curb the spread of COVID19, which it has so far recorded a resounding commitment especially in Lagos and its Capital City, Abuja, but situation in Kano State is quite alarming, considering the rise in number of cases within short period of time. According to the country’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), it has discovered over 2000 cases, 60 deaths and 300 people discharged, with Lagos leading, followed by Kano State.
Presumably, the success recorded is not the case, but the aftermath of the pandemic for Nigeria’s economic landscape and its fast-growing international relation particularly with China.
Nigeria, Africa’s richest country that has excesses of Crude Oil exportation and trade, spent years patronizing foreign hospitals, universities and tourist sites, especially by its elites and political class, should now realize the effect of COVID19 and apply method used by superpowers shortly after World War II.
Currently, almost all International trades are on standstill. The only business that remains active is Tech-Biz and Health (telemedicine). Oil and Gas that superintend our inter-state transportation system is declining due to low production globally; while technology continues to thrive, solving our existential problems. In Nigeria, there is high demand of data price reduction because people spend more time on internet than anywhere.
After 9/11, America’s tech-innovators began inventing extra software to monitor security, trade, health and life of their people. The advent of Facebook, Twitter and later Instagram played a vital role in changing the world in to one global village, where we interact with one another using digital devices.
African nations particularly Nigeria should learn a lesson and invest hugely to develop technology infrastructure and health care system. Technology remains a vital tool in fighting all sorts of pandemic and terrorism. Our junior schools, universities, hospitals, religious places, markets and agriculture must be fully digitalised.
Nigeria’s Chief Information Technology Officer, the Director General, National Information Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE said something which should be our primary focus, “COVID-19 is going to change the entire technology and economic activities in the world, and industries around the globe will be disrupted with many innovations. It has significant impact on digital technology and there is a need for Nigerian startups to be on alert because the change is inevitable.”
Startups are the technology innovators. They enter lab to incubate their ideas and come out with tangible and concrete technology solution. In this case, there is need for government and private sector to key in and develop the skills of these young minds. Mark Zuckerberg didn’t wait for US government before he launched Facebook, and Jack Dorsey co-founder of Twitter didn’t do that either. They achieved their feat after securing lot of investment from private sectors. Today, they are solving millions problems, not only for US government, but for the entire world.
African leaders, collectively or individually must adopt new economic strategies to expand inter-trade within the continent immediately after this pandemic. We have witnessed how our leaders no longer have access to foreign medical trip, tourism and honeymoon. COVID19 has shown us urge to revive our dilapidated hospitals and enrich our cultural site. Technology courses must be restructured and aligned with advanced method of cloud computing, robotics, data science and other IT related courses.
The world’s superpowers have now see potential in African nations especially in the way they handle this pandemic. Lesser cases and deaths reported in Africa compare to developed Western countries, including United States of America. They are now looking at Africa again for possibilities.
After this pandemic, the only way our economy will survive is through new policies, regulations and adoptions; just like what the superpowers did post-World War II. Things will never be the same, if African countries, and Nigeria in particular play their card well, we may have a Superpower in our continent.
Mubarak wrote in from Abuja.
