COVID- 19: Coping with new normal
The Covid-19 pandemic hit Nigerians
like an unexpected rain storm forcing everything to change, from the economy to
spirituality and making people learn what they would have preferred not to
learn. Some Nigerians have shared their experiences and life lessons learnt
during the COVID-19 lockdown how these lessons have shaped their lives, Ere-ebi
IMISI writes.
Outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
came to many Nigerians as a shock as some still clutch to a believe system that
the pandemic was absent in Nigeria considering our doggedness as a Nation.
It is pertinent to state that the
disease is real, a lot of people contracted it and scientist are yet to find a
cure, bearing in mind that prevention is better than cure. Also let us state
that the COVID-19 pandemic is above all, it is a human tragedy and our hearts
go out to all those who have lost loved ones, and to those who put themselves
at risk to save others.
The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us
some financial lessons, some have learnt that putting all of your eggs in one
basket is never a good thing, and the same goes for trusting that your 9-to-5
job will always be available to you. This is where an alternative source of
income will come in handy. It will help you meet these necessary expenses and
tide over difficult times.
A lot of persons learnt that we need
to create extra source of income, extra assignments over weekends, a part-time
job in the evenings after work, or home-based work are good ways to earn that
extra income.
For our religious practices, most
churches learnt that you could still connect with your members online without
physical services, members learnt to worship from the comfort of their homes
without feeling guilty, while churches with tight seating arrangement learnt
that they could accommodate more members and still observe social distances.
The educational sector was also
affected as schools had to remain closed and are still closed forcing
educational institutions to embrace the online/virtual learning pattern.
However, looking at the positive side, the pandemic provided the
much-needed break from our busy schedule to sit back and reflect on life and
career or business choices. For many, the lockdown gave them the opportunity to
bond with their spouses and families communicate more and share quality time
together.
Our correspondent spoke with
Nigerians from all works of life while some spoke of the good sides of the
lockdown, others spoke on how badly the lockdown affected them.
For Mr Bankole who works with a
school, noted that the pandemic taught him how to use the computer better.
‘‘With the online school, I learnt a
lot about the computer and the internet, working with an international school
we never went on break. The kids took their lectures, we conducted examinations
and even had the students pick up their report cards online. It has been quite
interesting and also demanding for many of us and it actually affected badly
initially.
‘‘I remember before we commenced the
online examinations we had to set our questions online, this is something that
I have never done before and our IT department had to conduct online trainings
for us. I was forced to learn because all my colleagues were also creating
theirs. At this point you cannot hide behind another person because you have to
do your work yourself.
‘‘I must add that I have enjoyed the
whole process and I am gradually beginning to love and embrace the online
learning and I am sure it has come to stay.
Speaking further was Modupe a 400
level student who loves catering, disclosed that the lockdown give her an
opportunity to learn new catering, home management and event planning skills
via the internet.
According to Chinedu who runs a
furniture shop in zone 3, wuse, noted that the closure of all banks during the
lockdown made him to understand the need to use an ATM, Automated Teller
Machine card.
“The COVID-19 lockdown really opened
my eyes to a lot of things. But one big lesson that I have learned is the need
for one to embrace digital banking, most especially the usage of ATM cards.
‘‘I say this because of the bitter
experiences I had during the total lockdown. I had money in my accounts, but I
couldn’t withdraw it because banks were closed. Before the lockdown, I’ve always
preferred going across the counter to do most of my banking transactions. All
these years, I’ve never liked the idea of online banking, like downloading a
banking app on my phone or using ATM cards. I have these fears because I feel
it exposes me to faceless online thieves that could steal all my money by
merely getting just a few digits from my ATM slip. So, although I collect the
cards from my banks, I don’t bother to use it or even care to change the cards
when they expire.
‘‘But the Coronavirus lockdown has
changed my mindset because when the banks closed, I could have still had access
to my money if only I had a functional ATM card. So, I had to rely on friends
that lent me money to provide for my family. I’ve now realized the need to have
and use the ATMs. Hence I’d say that is the biggest personal lesson I learned
during the COVID-19 lockdown.” he explained.
In all it was not all stories of bad
tales as some persons utilized the opportunity to enrich themselves
educationally, financially, morally and spiritually. Bearing in mind that the
country is still faced with the pandemic and some persons still have to work
from home, it is expected that people utilize the opportunity and make the best
out of it.
However, looking at the positive
side, the pandemic provided the much-needed break from our busy schedule to sit
back and reflect on life and career or business choices. For many, the lockdown
gave them the opportunity to bond with their spouses and families communicate
more and share quality time together.
