When on Sunday, 8th December, 2019, the COVID -19 virus was first discovered in Wuhan, China, many never thought it could have such far-reaching effect on the entire globe.
In January, over a month after it broke out, the World Health Organization (WHO), declared COVID-19 a global health emergency and on March 11, Director General, WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared the virus a pandemic. By then, the deadly virus had found its way into 114 of the 197 countries in the world.
As at the time of penning this piece, over 2, 494, 915 people have been infected with the pandemic globally while a fatality of 171, 249 have been recorded. In Nigeria, as I write, 665 confirmed cases of the virus has been recorded with 22 fatalities.
The disease affects the respiratory system and once it enters the lungs, the effect becomes more severe in the patient. If adequate medical care is not given, it could lead to the death of the patient, especially those with other medical ailments and the aged with low immunity.
Globally, many countries were not really prepared for the rampaging pandemic. In spite of the global warning by WHO, many world leaders did not pay it the deserved attention.
In Africa, we had boasted that the ailment dare not come into a tropical environment like ours. That has since been proven untrue, as many African nations currently battle the mysterious plague.
It is not surprising that Lagos, being the most populous State in the country and the nation’s center of commercial activities, has been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria.
But then, what is comforting is that in Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the State has gotten an inspirational leader who is equal to the task. Governor Sanwo-Olu has been a major rallying point in the battle against the pandemic in the State and, indeed, the country. Like Winston Churchill did for the British during World War 2, the governor is providing firm leadership by creatively galvanizing human and material resources to combat this invisible adversary.
Under his able leadership, the State government has created sufficient awareness for the deadly virus among the residents through the TV, radio, newspapers, social media, advocacy campaigns, and a host of others. Additionally, the Incident Commander gives regular update on the management of the pandemic in the State. This brings residents up to speed on all issues relating to the virus, thereby bridging communication gap.
Similarly, isolation centers were established at various locations across the State. Equally, at the early stage of the index case, all schools in the State – primary, secondary and tertiary institutions were shut while Public Servants from Grade Levels 01 – 12 were directed to work from home. Also, some prominent markets in the State were closed to contain the spread of the virus.
Other strategies employed by Mr. Governor and his team included the training of medical personnel, conscription of volunteers and limiting of number of worshippers to 50 and subsequently 20 after due consultation with religious leaders in the State.
Immediately after the extension of the initial 14 days lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari for Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday, 12th April, 2020, the State government came up with additional palliative measures to cushion the socio-economic effects of the lockdown.
This include daily food kitchen programme for 100,000 youths, provision of food stimulus packages to 250, 000 indigent people, cash transfer to 250,000 vulnerable residents and economically challenged persons, release of impounded vehicles from March 1, 2020 for minor traffic offences free of charge, provision of palliative for operatives of the informal sector, tertiary institutions, religious bodies, political parties, ethnic groups, and various artisans association in the State. Also, three months moratorium relief was provided for patrons of the State’s financial incentive programmes.
Thanks to all these strategies as well as Mr. Governor’s pro-activeness, the spread of the virus has been considerably checkmated, especially when compared to what is happening in other climes. It is equally instructive to stress that the State has severally demonstrated that contracting the virus is not a death sentence through consistent discharge of quite a number of patients.
The survivors were quite stable and unruffled, expressing joy and satisfaction with the State Government and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the treatments they received at the isolation centre and his proactive approach towards the containment of the virus.
It is in view of the preparedness and efforts of the Sanwo-Olu led administration in handling the COVID-19 Pandemic that the WHO Chief, Dr. Ghebereyesus, hailed Nigeria’s and by extension Lagos saying, “This is a true act of solidarity and an important step in stopping the Coronavirus from spreading further”. This is a testimony that the decision of the State government to spearhead construction of the Biobank and Biosecurity Laboratory at the Mainland Specialist Hospital, Yaba was timely and ingenious.
Just like the case with the Ebola virus, in which months later the country was declared Ebola-free, with WHO hailing a “spectacular success story” and commending authorities for their “effective coordination of the response”, we might be on course of yet another remarkable victory.
For any government that worth its salt, innovation is a key ingredient of governance. Aside being a necessary tool of governance, innovation is a continuous thing as it has no finishing point. Hence, the Lagos State government under Governor Sanwo-Olu is continuously thinking and working to improve the lots of the people.
Innovation is a continuous process that has no finishing line. Consequently, to integrate innovation into its daily activities, the State government is taking on a leading role in promoting science, technology and innovation as core policy areas that not only hold the key to the state’s future, but could also make it one of the continent’s innovation leaders.
There should be no illusion; cities that fail to harness the power of innovation will eventually become the customers of those that do. They would become dumpsites to all kinds of goods and products from diverse places across the globe. They would become slaves in their own lands. It is in a bid to forestall this from being the lot of Lagos that the Sanwo-Olu administration is bent on consistently finding new ways to combat local challenges in order to deliver previously unforeseen value.
The connotation of the innovative and inspirational governance at work in the State is that inspirational leadership is most desirable if our country is to disconnect itself from its embarrassing and ignoble past. As the commercial hub for West Africa, the implications of innovation-driven growth for Lagos are both exciting and alarming.
A failure to frame and harness innovation might consign future generations of Lagosians to material dependency on those African cities that had seized the mantle when they had the opportunity. This is why the State government strives hard to create an environment in which all entrepreneurs can come up with the most innovative products and services.
Meanwhile, it is important that all residents of the State cooperate fully with the State government in order to banish this deadly pandemic out of our land. Remember, united we stand!
Gbemibade is of the Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA)
