By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
Many Nigerians have groaned about the inconvenience of the lockdown initiated by the Federal Government to check the spread of the COVID-19, especially its effect on income-generating activities. However, some academics say the lockdown has had a positive effect on the economy.
The dons who are members of the Crawford University research team noted that the lockdown not only helped limit the spread of the virus but provided opportunities for people to rest, reduce the time they would have spent in traffic commuting to and from work, as well as bond with their families.
The team led by Prof. Comfort Omorogbe, Director, School of Part-Time Studies, Crawford University, Igbesa, noted in the paper that the lockdown could be used to prepare for a fruitful future.
The paper reads: “The lockdown is no doubt a sacrifice today for a better tomorrow and so should be obeyed. There are many benefits to be derived from the total lockdown irrespective of its debilitating effects. For instance, how many of us would have had this ample time to rest from work or business? Many are tied to their businesses and tight work-schedules that they hardly have time for rest or leave/leisure. Some persons are currently released from traffic pressure of 365days. The lockdown definitely helped in improving health conditions, body rejuvenation and longevity, especially with little exercises around the homes. The pertinent question however, is: how can we make the stay-at-home experience pleasurable and productive? We strongly believe that the lockdown period is a time to sow for a rewarding future. It is a time to think about things you would not have had time to do, if you were to pursue your business, work or formal schooling.”
The dons also suggested economic activities Nigerians could engage in while stuck at home that could earn them an income – including gardening, poultry farming, and online businesses, among others.
They said: “Do you have a small space around your house? If yes, make a small garden on the ground or a vertical garden on an interlocked ground (using sand-buckets and damned PVC pipes); plant pepper and tomato seeds, bitter leaf stems, pumpkin seed (Ugwu) spinach seed (green vegetable), etc..
“On the other hand, you can rear chicks in a small corner; feed them with blended maize or anything you eat. The beauty of this is that, you wake up every morning busy inspecting, nursing and monitoring your small farm; happy and hopeful to see how they turn out their yields in a short period!
Learn new ideas and skills from free online platforms depending on your interest areas. For some, they could start off with a skill-acquisition online lecture at a very small fee; and for students who have the ambition to further their studies abroad; they could spend this time learning foreign languages online for free in order to broaden their search access and success.
“Advertise your businesses online, it is an investment for better yield tomorrow. You can even create your own blog and expose what you can do for the world to queue in. The advantage of this lies in the widened network you will build now that becomes useful after the lockdown.”
Leave a Reply