BY: DEBO ADENIYI<\/p>\n
Monday, 27 Apr. 2020<\/p>\n
As the global outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues
\nto cause significant health challenges across the world, many countries
\nhave been working assiduously in containing it and its challenges with a
\ndevasting impact on world economies. No doubt, the natural environment
\nis the biggest gainer in this pandemic era with many factories and
\nbusinesses closed, combined with fewer cars on the road and fewer planes
\nin the sky, our natural environment is recovering slowly. We now need to
\nbalance the social and economic sustainability while deploying
\nstrategies in the transition to the new-normal in sustaining the natural
\nenvironment in its green and clean state towards a more digitalized and
\na low-carbon economy.<\/p>\n
Sustainability is often conceived of as an attempt to balance competing
\neconomic, environmental, and social priorities. United Nations
\nDevelopment Program (UNDP) also suggests that sustainable development is
\na balance between social, environmental, and economic objectives.<\/p>\n
Since most countries have implemented some level of lockdown to curtail
\nthe spread of the disease. This is having huge adverse effects on
\nbusinesses. Most industries particularly, airline, retail, financial
\ninstitutions, sports, tourism and hospitality, oil and gas, and other
\nservice-related industries, have been adversely impacted. In Nigeria,
\nwith the huge population of the country in the informal sector and many
\nsurviving on daily wages, and the growing existence of Micro, small and
\nmedium enterprises (MSMEs), the continued total lockdown will further
\ncripple businesses, accelerate the rate of job loss and increase the
\nlevel of poverty with the consequential effect of increased insecurity.<\/p>\n
I greatly appreciate the health authorities, the healthcare, and other
\nfrontline workers, in the race in winning the battle towards saving
\nlives from the wicked hands of the invincible enemy called Covid-19, I
\nalso understand the sentiments in advising the government on effective
\nand total lockdown as one of the effective ways in curbing the
\nCoronavirus, they should not also overlook the economic realities that
\nif not addressed swiftly too, may spell doom for the same lives that
\nthey have saved.<\/p>\n
How do we explain a man that was infected with the Coronavirus disease,
\nadmitted at the health facility within the isolation center, received
\ntreatments and saved by health workers, only to get home and eventually
\nkilled by hunger or depression as a result of job loss? This shows us
\nclearly that the \u201ceconomy in itself is the sustenance of life\u201d.
\nHence, balancing the protection of lives with economic interests is
\nparamount at this point.<\/p>\n
It is important to note that while businesses remain shutdown and
\nunproductive with attendant mass losses of revenue, overhead costs still
\nremain. Companies will have to struggle in paying rents, salaries,
\ntaxes, servicing loans, etc.<\/p>\n
Unlike the advanced nations that have made good provisions for the
\npeople and businesses via \u201cstimulus Package\u201d with more direct
\nintervention such as direct wage or income support, tax credits or tax
\ndeferrals, wage subsidies, short-term work schemes, moratoriums on loan
\npayments and the establishment of a coronavirus Job Retention Scheme,
\nwhere the government pays up to 60% of private-sector salaries until
\nJune, as long as workers are not sacked, as exhibited in countries like
\nFrance, Denmark, UK, etc. so as to reduce the negative impact on
\nbusinesses and slow the rate of job loss, the US alone has deployed a
\nUS$2.2 trillion stimulus package which, The US Senate also just passed a
\nbill for $484 billion \u201cMore Small-Business Stimulus\u201d, including a
\n$320 billion \u201cPaycheck Protection Program\u201d to enable small
\nbusinesses to pay their staff salaries for two months. But what we have
\nwitnessed in Nigeria has been highly disappointing and unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Evidence has shown that the stimulus package by the federal and state
\ngovernments in Nigeria are not effective, nor sustainable. The Federal
\nand State Government in Nigeria has no financial or economic capacity to
\nsustain Nigerians for a week lockdown let alone months of lockdowns.
\nLack of structure and data has also made it difficult for the
\ngovernments in identifying the targets which are the vulnerable, old,
\nand poor people, etc. We have also witnessed the politicized and
\nlopsided distribution of the stimulus packages to Nigerians, the youths
\nwho constitute the largest population are largely cut-off from the
\nstimulus package. Also, the announced stimulus, to a large extent, has
\nnot addressed the critical needs of businesses that will guarantee the
\nsustainability and protection of jobs.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, With the present decline in the global oil price, the
\nChairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi has warned
\nthat States may get zero FAAC Allocations in June. According to him,<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have seen the difficulty that oil prices are experiencing around
\nthe world. So, it is a no-brainer.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to be a rocket
\nscientist to know that you may not even have N200b to share as FAAC in
\nJune. We are talking of June because oil is sold three months ahead. So,
\nthe ones that have been sold before now, they have given us that it is
\nnot as bad as it is\u201d.<\/p>\n
The impact of the above statement is that most states in Nigeria will no
\nlonger be able to pay salaries of workers since they largely rely on
\nFederal Allocation. So, the easiest alternative that can save them is
\ninternally generated revenue through taxes and other ventures. So, how
\ncan you achieve that when the states are in a lockdown situation?<\/p>\n
The essence of the lockdown with border closure ordered by the
\ngovernments means that it will continue to do so with the option of
\nextensions until the time that it has reached a certain satisfactory
\nstate that the spread of Covid-19 has been contained, curved, or on the
\nnose-dived. The length of time required for such lockdowns to ensure
\neffectiveness and satisfaction in arresting the spread would make it
\nnear impossible in a country like Nigeria where no sustainable
\npalliative in place and where social distancing in most places will
\nremain impracticable. From the shanties in Makoko and Ajegunle townships
\nto the crowded places like Okokomaiko, Idumota, Idumagbo, Ajangbadi,
\nAkesan, Akowonjo, Alimosho, or Mararaba, Yayan in Abuja\/Nasarawa, etc
\nsocial clustering in only natural and certain in such circumstances as
\nCommunal living is not just about culture, it is a matter of economic
\nsurvival.<\/p>\n
If the strategy is to lockdown until infections stop\/significantly
\ndecline or so, then we might be waiting indefinitely as evident that the
\nfour weeks of lockdown only produced a spiraled increase in cases
\ninstead of decline. So, there is no evidence that further lockdown will
\nreduce the figures of cases per day with the present social,
\nenvironmental, and economic realities in our communities.<\/p>\n
As widely informed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that a good
\nstrategy in curbing the Coronavirus is to improve and accelerate testing
\nand reporting. It has become evident that Nigeria\u2019s Government through
\nNCDC has been moving at a snail pace when it comes to testing. While a
\ncountry like Ghana has tested over 100,000 people as of today, Nigeria
\nhas only managed to test about 10,918 people from the population of over
\n200 million people despite the imposition of 4-week lockdown in states
\nlike Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja, with many other states following the same
\nroute. With the above data and pace, it is clear that there will always
\nbe massive under-testing and gross under-reporting. Hence the need to
\nrethink our strategy on the Lockdown order.<\/p>\n
WAY FORWARD:<\/p>\n
Since it is evident that we cannot sustain lockdowns indefinitely or
\neven until the spread stops\/declines, I propose a gradual and
\nstrategic\/systemic relaxed lockdown where the transport sector and
\nbusinesses should be activated with guidelines and legislations to
\ninclude compulsory use of Face masks in public places, sanitizers,
\nmaintenance of social distancing, increased education and awareness
\n(posters, social media, electronics, and print media, etc), disinfection
\nof all open markets and all public places, a limited number of
\npassengers in public and private transportation and strict enforcement
\nof same, personal hygiene at homes and offices, amongst others. Lifting
\nof restriction of large gatherings should be in the second phase such as
\neducational, religious, political, and social gatherings, also border
\nlockdown restrictions and full economy restart should follow.<\/p>\n
All states and local governments in Nigeria should be mobilized in
\ncarrying out the Covid-19 test as soon as possible and governments at
\nall levels should be transparent with accurate data and reporting.<\/p>\n
The farming season is on and we must ensure that the farmers get access
\nto fertilizers and other inputs as soon as possible to avoid famine.
\nLockdowns during the planting season could threaten food security in
\nmonths ahead and Inflation will shoot up in many cases. The government
\nshould also provide a safe, enabling, and secure environment for them in
\nthe distribution of their farm produce.<\/p>\n
Our western and local\/traditional (herbal) medical experts and research
\ninstitutions should all be mobilized to come up with solutions to cure
\nthe Covid-19<\/p>\n
It will also be imperative for the government at all levels to be more
\nstrategic and transparent in the administration of social welfare and
\npalliatives distribution among the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
Governments at all levels, private sectors, and other stakeholders
\nshould embrace sustainable solutions, sources, and begin the journey of
\ntransiting to a more digitalized and low-carbon economy.<\/p>\n
Once again, I applaud and salute our frontline health workers, other
\nfront liners, the governments, Health Authorities at the World,
\nNational, State, and Local levels, the Private Sector and other
\nstakeholders towards their efforts in fighting this invincible enemy
\ncalled Covid-19 into a halt. We are surely in this together.<\/p>\n
————————-<\/p>\n
By Debo Adeniyi<\/p>\n
Debo Adeniyi is the Executive Director and the Global Sustainability
\nLeader, at the Centre for Global Solutions and Sustainable Development,
\n(CENGSSUD)<\/p>\n
He is a seasoned professional, a Corporate Sustainability and
\nSustainable Development Practitioner, a trained business strategist, an
\ninnovator with experience and specialties towards working with the
\nprivate sector in implementing Sustainability in core business strategy,
\nDNA and operations with a strong drive on values, results, creating
\ncompelling overarching aspirations and embedding them in the
\norganisation through change management and empowered leadership to
\ncreate growth, innovation, and operational efficiencies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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