As at when I was writing this, the Federal Government imposed lockdown was in its fourth week; four weeks of pain, fear, rage, uncertainty and social distancing, of course.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases just topped 3 million globally, and that of Nigeria recently surpassed the 1000 mark. Living in such an abnormal time for many, especially those on the front lines, the glaring question now is ‘what is the meaning of life and what does the future hold for humanity?’
As a matter of fact, no one has been left untouched by the pandemic. This virus crisis has taught humanity, as funny as it sounds, an important lesson about interdependency. Everyone is interconnected with and interdependent on one another in so many ways. In other words, my health and well-being are dependent on your health and well-being; the same principle applies beyond borders and regions. Indeed, our collective health defines the state of businesses and economies within and across nations.
While many are working from home, many others are still going out to perform ‘essential’ duties. From taking care of the sick to delivering mails and groceries, these workers are ensuring that our world is not totally unfunctional. However, so many people have been furloughed because their employers cannot pay for their services any longer; companies are also requesting as well as threatening their employees to take wage cuts as high as 50%.
The International Labor Organization in its March report estimated that 25 million jobs worldwide could be lost as a result of the virus crisis. In the United States, 26.5 million workers have filed for unemployment benefits. A lot of the G20 countries are either facing recession or have it around the corner. This does not augur well for developing countries like Nigeria. As Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan puts it, “tackling the virus would be more difficult in developing countries that in the developed one”. People leaving in Nigeria, for instance, are faced with two options: die from the virus or die from hunger. According to the information gathered from news reports, many would rather take their chances with the virus.
Something almost similar shook the world in 2008- the global financial crisis. It was a difficult time for everyone; however, the difference between it and this virus crisis is that the latter destroyed lives and economies.
It was during the 2008 financial crisis that the former Chairman of US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke said, “our lack of control over what happens to us might be grounds for an attitude of resignation or fatalism, but I would urge you to take a very different lesson. You may have limited control over the challenges and opportunities you will face, or the good fortune and trials that you will experience. You have considerably more control, however, over how well prepared and open you are, personally and professionally, to make the most of the opportunities that life provides you.”
It is really important, therefore, to note during this pandemic that “the world changes too fast, and too many accidents and unpredictable events occur. It will pay, therefore, to be creative and open-minded as you search for and consider professional opportunities. Look most carefully at those options that will give you a chance to learn new things, explore new areas, and grow as a person.”
- Chude Okechukwu (CSC ‘19)