Why COVID-19 is gradually proving to be a necessary evil in Africa

The ravaging effects of this deadly outbreak, ranging from the families that got broken, businesses that are being destroyed from the skyrocketing number of cases and its associated deaths is nothing anyone should be proud of. In fact, it should be the very last thing that any human being will take advantage of to prove unnecessary points.

However, there is a hidden element which deserves to be highlighted. Unlike other diseases, or dire conditions which affects just a section, mostly Africa which the whole world troops in to help like in the case of Ebola, coronavirus demands that, each and every country face the outbreak with, either the systems and structures they have built over the years or come up with innovations to face the outbreak.

Suddenly, Africans have ‘started’ exhibiting high tech intelligence. This is a continent which has for some time been perceived as a technologically bankrupt one, courtesy, the corruption infested political leadership whom prefers to procure even basic items outside, bloat budgets and loot funds rather than creating an enabling environment for individuals and local businesses to develop.

Today, we are mass producing Personal Protective Equipments, ventilators, tracking machines, solar powered and sensor built hand washing basins, our scientist are making waves in discoveries among many others. The question is: where were all these knowledge and skills hidden? They were obviously buried by bad leadership. Under ‘normal’ circumstances, all these items we are producing today would have been imported with the local companies championing production today tagged as incapable of meeting “standards”.

The situation is totally different now. Every highly dependent country especially countries in Africa have started developing a sense of self-reliance; a phenomenon they previously thought could not be possible just turned out to be a mind-game. It is all mental slavery and bad leadership. We are capable of doing anything if given the opportunity.

Moreover, the evolving sense of self-reliance, if given enough time to develop fully could free nations especially Africa. Countries are learning to deal with their fears and face situations with home tailored solutions. Whilst we deal with the outbreak, lets put in all efforts to put our structures in place to embrace the new world order. This is true independence in disguise