Children suffering from malnutrition
Coronavirus, COVID-19 has a tendency of resulting to HUNGER-20 in Nigeria, if the concerned authorities fail to do the needful considering the high rate of poverty and hunger in the land before the outbreak of the virus.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has affected and still has a high tendency of affecting different activities and sectors in many countries around the world thereby leading to HUNGER-20, given the rate of people infected and the death toll.
Government authorities, Health Organizations, and other stakeholders have risen on different occasions to talk about the evil COVID-19 might bring upon the economy globally as the International Monetary Fund, IMF predicted possible economic recession and depression.
In Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC has announced different measures on how to prevent the further spread of the pandemic.
Also, President, Muhammadu Buhari has announced lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Ogun and Lagos State which has the highest index of cases in the country.
Since the sit at home order has been considered as parts of measures to put an end to the further spread of the pandemic, it is highly imperative to also consider the fate of people whose daily livelihood depends solely on the day to day economic activities.
Would it not be a wasted effort if Governments at different levels, agencies, and Stakeholders rise to stem the tide of COVID-19 without considering the danger HUNGER-20 would bring upon the common man whose daily feeding depends on his daily hustle.
It is evident and understandable that health is superior to wealth. Still, in the long run, people who have no hope of feeding themselves or sustaining their family in the face of COVID-19, which has resulted in lockdown might be a push to choose between dying of the pandemic rather than to die of hunger.
Many people have asked questions about what government has in the pipeline to water down the negative effects of the lockdown in the concerned states and the FCT. Still, it seems the Federal government has no well-designed plan of reaching out to the Nigerian populace.
You will recall that different private organizations and well spirited Nigerians have pledged to donate funds as their contribution to helping the Federal and state government in their effort to ensure it does not escalate beyond control.
But, the question yet to be answered is how will these donations reflect on the lives of an ordinary Nigerian who is faced with HUNGER-20.
The presidential candidate under the canopy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigerian business tycoon, Aliko Dangote, Businessman and philanthropist, Femi Otedola among other well-meaning Nigerians have pledged to donate millions and billions of naira to helping the government.
While putting this write up together, I received an SMS that reads, “Hunger wants to kill my two children and me, please help us, No bi Coro go kill us na hunger.”
You will agree with me that the SMS is just one out of the so many people who are languishing under the economic effects of COVID-19.
Even though the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal government had not received the funds promised by some Nigerians.
It is still essential to ask about the hope of the common man in a situation like this when other countries already have means of reaching out to their citizens.
A few days ago, the Federal government approached the Senate to approve the sum of 500 billion naira to fight the pandemic.
I wonder why they have to wait till this time to make arrangements on how to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic does not result in HUNGER-20, thereby resulting in a high rate of criminalities and crimes in the society.