Could COVID-19 Have Impacted Us Positively?
Author: Ebube Nwamah
Back in 2020, when the deadly Coronavirus disease hit an overpopulated yet underdeveloped nation like Nigeria, there was panic all around. We all thought Nigeria wouldn’t make it. Besides the number of cases we envisaged, people also feared for the nation’s economy, the survival of its people, and the future of its youths.
Nigeria is home to millions of young people. We are a country of youths and are expected to be a vibrant nation leading progressive changes, but this is not the case. Nigeria is burdened with corruption and flawed policies that continuously stifle the efforts of the average youth, who is simply trying to survive. Hundreds of thousands of youths roam the streets each day in search of daily bread.
In 2020, we not only witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic but also an economic growth surge among many of our youths. Several Nigerians saw a rise in their finances despite the speculated economic downturn.
How did all of this happen?
The Internet!
The internet is an intricate network that connects millions of people, organizations, and systems across the globe. It is through the internet that you are able to read this article wherever you are in the world.
The internet has existed for a long time but only became an asset to many Nigerian youths in 2020. The relevance of this asset was born out of the cyber-oriented society created by the pandemic. Everything and everyone shifted to the internet, thus giving our youths the visibility and semi-equal platform they lack in their nation.
Since 2020, the internet has been very instrumental in shaping our people and, in turn, our society. With the continued use of the internet (in the right direction), we may just be moving closer to the nation of our dreams.
Some of the Internet’s Impact Since 2020
Increased Employment: When the pandemic hit the world in 2019-2020, most companies were forced to move their operations online. Many people discovered they could run an entire organization without having a physical “office space.” This shift to a digital landscape enabled fair competition between our youths and people from diverse origins for job opportunities.
Nigerian youths were found in online “office spaces” of organizations where they ordinarily wouldn’t have been. We saw cases of students earning foreign currencies while still in school and young Nigerians, who were previously considered “unfit-for-employment” by some Nigerian organizations (in the pre-cyber era), working with organizations like Forbes and Medical News Today.
This instilled a great deal of confidence and discipline in many of our youths. The surge in employment led to a substantial increase in the economies of individuals, families, and even the nation.
Aiding and Abetting a Potential Walk to Freedom: The eventful year of 2020 ended with an outcry by Nigerian youths against injustice, brutality, and exploitation meted out by a rogue police unit (SARS), which was set up to tackle crimes related to robbery, car theft, etc. EndSARS started as a movement on the internet, fueled by retweets, likes, tagging relevant bodies, etc. Within a few weeks, it evolved into a massive demonstration that took the nation by storm.
The internet was instrumental to the success of this movement and other campaigns, advocacy programs, and movements against social ills that have been or are currently being executed. These youth-led activities have driven reforms and policies that are bettering the nation.
Strategic Entrepreneurship: Since 2020, we have witnessed a rise in entrepreneurship, with numerous start-ups and brands being formed and promoted via the internet. The internet houses several educational and promotional resources that are useful to brands and brand owners. It also offers a means for connecting businesses to their target audience, thus improving sales and profits. The rise in entrepreneurship has had a positive effect on the nation’s economy.
Although the current state of the economy has put a strain on the growth and survival of businesses in Nigeria, we still cannot overlook the contributions of the internet towards the growth of youth-owned businesses in Nigeria.
Overall, the internet has been very useful for the empowerment of our youths over the past four years. When used correctly, the internet is instrumental in improving education, healthcare, creativity, and socialization, all of which contribute to the growth of the nation.