Lockdown: How COVID-19 Pandemic is changing our Lives – FCT Residents
By Comfort Yakubu
On the 27th of February 2020, the first case of COVID-19 pandemic, which first surfaced in china Novmber 2019 and later to spread beyond its borders was first confirmed in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
An Italian citizen who works in Nigeria had returned from Milan and tested positive to the COVID-19 virus. Since then, other cases of infected persons soon began to surface.
Soon Entrepreneurs began to take advantage of the situation to make brisk business as prices of spirit, sanitizers which were not earlier in popular demand sky-rocketed.
Sanitizer’s that sold for about N300 for instance, rose to N1000, while prices of food stuffs also went up as residents engaged in panic buying, storing up food and basic necessities.
With the lock down enforced by the Federal Government, Companies within the Federal Capital Territory began to establish systems that enable staff work from home. This is just as the embargo on large gatherings led to increase in virtual events, as earlier scheduled events were switched to online where possible.
FCT Residents share their story on how the pandemic, which precipitated to the compulsory stay at home and maintaining social distance is shaping their lives and affecting their businesses.
For Patricia Fom , Project Drector at Morden Business, the recent COVID-19 lock-down has changed a lot of things , the way we worship , work, play and learn. She explained that work has diverse options depending on what needs to be done.
‘’We already saw the increasing use of WhatsApp for meetings and trainings, but now a lot of new tools that existed but largely unknown or had low patronage are coming to the fore, an example is zoom’.
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“Game lovers and children are not left out in this change, as people don’t have to be in the same room to play anymore. With internet access and a computer or smart phone, you are already playing with your friend anyway’’.
“We are seeing increasingly more that learning is not restricted to the four walls of a classroom. There are so many e-learning platforms and tools accessible now ‘’.
She added that Technology has been beckoning on us to change the way we work! Lock down is now enforcing it .
‘’Many Technology companies have long embraced remote working as well as delivering services remotely. For example Companies like Microsoft, General Electric (GE), Vertiv , HP, Andela among others have staff working remotely from different parts of the World and also deliver services to clients remotely. Small and growing companies like ours have been doing same even before the COVID -19 lock-down she explains.
She added that for those ready to embrace this new life-style, Office 365 , enables workers to access resources, share files with office applications across web, mobile and desktop, storing their content in the cloud.
‘’There are so many more tools out there that can be used for remote working and collaboration, a lot are free, some offer free trials others require payment. Examples include our all familiar WhatsApp to Zoom, Webx, GoTOMeeting, Slid .o, google.
A lot of businesses will also need to have an online presence especially if the lock-down has affected them, either a simple websites or e-commerce website or advanced web applications.
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She explained further that what has prevented people from adopting this life-style is trust Issues , Fraud, Lack of know-how Access to tools (computers, software) Lack of Power Expensive and poor internet services and blunt refusal to adopt to change which unfortunately COVID-19 has forced us to accept’
For Mr Juwon Odutayo who also resides in Abuja, Before Covid-19, you would leave home in the morning returning by say 7pm or 8pm. Then would come a quick dinner, some TV time and bedtime. The routine would pick up with the alarm clock at 6am and continue Monday to Friday without fail. But then came Covid-19 virus and it’s a Lock Down!’’ It’s a Stay at Home! What are we to do for 24 hours? Well maybe 18hours since about 6 or 8 is for sleep he says,
‘’The first day was exciting like a new adventure bringing energy and excitement. But from the second, third or fourth day comes boredom, friction and getting into each other’s face’’.
‘’ The scary thing about this Stay at Home is that 2weeks is already sounding like an eternity. And it’s amazing how singles who are not in a relationship wish they have someone to share this Stay at Home time with while many married folks are frustrated they are stuck with their partners 24/7; The irony of life’’.
Sharing his experience Mr Odutayo noted that by the 2nd day he had a reset and changed the tag from ‘Stay at Home to now is the time’. The former is inactive; the latter is proactive he says
‘’Now is the time to go through the children’s books and see how they are doing. Now is the time to go through their school work thoroughly and have conversations with them and know their challenges, where they struggle and help step in .We used to rush morning prayers. Well, there’s no rush for us now’.
‘’I have used this time to unwrap the smoothie machine I got for my daughter some time ago. Now is the Time for her to learn how to use it and make great smoothies. And when you think about it, the vitamins will also build our immune systems. She is also started in the smoothie business she had always talked about. By the time this phase is over, she would have honed in her skills’’.
‘’7-8pm is now the time we watch and learn new songs. We all sit in a cluster and pick the song of choice from YouTube. We sing it over and over again. And later use the Bluetooth speaker and fill the atmosphere of the home with it.’’
‘’Now is the time to have that investment discussion with your spouse especially if you have been postponing it for a while and complaining you don’t have the time.
By the time this phase is over, we should be a stronger family because we should have created memories’
Mr Denise Dogo a teacher in the FCT said the impact of the lock down knows no bounds’’ As a teacher, he explains,’’ I missed the contact I have with my pupils, where life coping skills are acquired every day. But now I call their parents through the phone to speak with them, I however observed that while on phone the children are freer to express themselves and it has built more trust between me and the parents’’.
‘I have used this period to pick up the skill of reading books again, which I struggled with because of my busy work life. I have time to watch movies and am spending quality time with my family, discussing and playing board games together’’.
‘’Church service is now through life streaming, this helps me to concentrate more and I pick up lessons deeply without hurrying and distraction .I now have time to do workout. My body is now in shape, interestingly I have saved money during this period especially from laundry as I do my laundry even neater and iron my clothes and that of my wife which build more bond between us’’.
Another resident who pleaded anonymity shared her experience, ‘’all my family members are at home making the house a bit noisy but that’s nice.. Secondly, I read more books both soft copies and hard copies,
academics and inspirational books ; I tend to consume more data as I use the online medium to learn new things but the network providers are not helping matters. However I always feel hungry so I eat more than usual and am running out of money she adds.
Comfort Yakubu writes from Gudu Abuja
