COVID 19 has definitely brought unprecedented misery to almost all corners of the globe. However there are bright spots and positive aspects of this pandemic that I would like to beam my searchlight on, literally.
Wildlife in Africa can now be seen lazing around parks free from the intrusion of overzealous tourists. There are pictures of animals practically checking on humans, in shock of what could have gone wrong in such a short period of time. Wildlife have been seen roaming the streets of virtually abandon cities. Nature I must say is having a blast.
Also there are some positive effects on the socio-economic aspect of our lives, US crime-ridden cities like Baltimore, Miami, LA have seen a drastic drop in murder rates. Miami reported zero murders for a 7 week period, the first time since 1957. The beleaguered and abandoned almajiris in the Northern part of Nigeria, which form the bulk of the 10m out of school children in Nigeria, are finally getting some attention and maybe some affection. There are videos of them being driven in luxury buses to their respective states of origin for proper care, something most of them could only dream of. Who would believe that is achievable in such a short period of time.
Our collective humanity has also been brought to the front burner. The rich now know if he does not feed the poor he would be eaten by the poor. We now see charitable works all over the world in a desperate attempt to feed the poor, these are the people mainly impacted by the global lockdown. Is it an act of survival or the milk of human kindness, we would never know. If only we can have a peep into their hearts and minds we may have a better understanding.
There is also a boom in tech platforms that provide solutions for virtual engagement. All of a sudden we have all become zoom experts, having series of engagements on the platform from the mundane to the ludicrous. Fitness entrepreneurs are also making use of tech solutions, such as house party to engage people. There is a boom in e-commerce, they have seen a spike in demand and are definitely smiling to the banks. Who would believe that we can have a concert with over 100 A list artists in attendance and we can watch without paying a dime? Well, thanks to the ingenuity of the human mind, it became a reality.
I dare say, the human mind works best when faced with adversity, most especially when the threat is existential. For thousands of years or is it millions of years, we have faced existential threats. We have learned to adapt, improvise and come out better. This might be just that opportunity for us to rethink how we treat the environment, re-think the unbridled globalism/capitalism, and the mindless accumulation of wealth. In this time out period, global thinkers must come up with a more sustainable approach to dealing with our environment and a more inclusive social-economic system that leaves no one behind
Oladapo Kasumu, A tech enthusiast and social critic/ political analyst writes from Lagos
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