By Ogaziechi Nnedi
Today more than ever before, figures are everything to the global community, to the G7, G8, G20, developed and underdeveloped nations alike. All eyes are on figures, but not with the expectations that usually precede stock markets in world commercial capitals; London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, etc. The numbers of the pandemic victims are of a grimmer import to citizens of the world today. The world has been counting the tested, the infected, the dead, the recovering, the discharged, the ICU, the ER patients and many others, all victims of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Numbers today have a life of their own. More than wars and conflicts, it is sending chills down the spine of all world citizens because it represents today the difference between hope and despair, between the living and the dead, the recovering and the dying, victory and defeat in the medical and science fields. There is a minute by minute updates globally on a variety of numbers. Make no mistakes about it, the numbers being counted by nations today have no mathematical or scientific conclusiveness or accuracy . As the virus ravages the world, there are no perfect figures in any nation because a lot is involved, identification, location, hospital admissions or lack of same, home deaths and other complex scenarios.
However, for a developing nation like Nigeria, numbers at this time has many implications. Since the index case of the Covid-19 patient of Italian decent in February, the number of patients with the virus has been on the rise across the states and that is merely those that have had the opportunity to be tested. The testing capacity like in most countries have been limited due to the scarcity of testing kits and personnel too.
So in essence, a country like Nigeria might be delusional to assume that the numbers daily announced by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the federal and state ministries of health truly represent the numbers of patients, affected by the virus. Sadly too, some state governors tend to assume that the virus cannot cross their borders. There is a worrisome lethargy amongst most governors in putting in place both isolation centers or making efforts to get more people tested or even to deploy a rigorous information strategy to inform citizens about the danger in town or the preventive measures to adopt seeing that the healthcare facilities would be inadequate in the event of emergencies.
On the other hand, the full import of a nation without any reliable census, town planning statistics and demographic data is staring Nigerians on the face today and the results are truly ominous. Even in countries with an almost perfect national data bank of each citizen, this period still picks holes in such statistical data but still not the chaos that presently stares Nigeria in the face.
For a country that seemingly considers only election votes as the only numbers that matter in national development, flawed as that might be, the chicken seem to have come home to roost with this pandemic. The world is working with statistics at the moment as a guide to the number of medical equipment and personnel needed at this time as live-saving items. Numbers again matter. What is the population of the country, states including visitors in the country?
Over the years, both military and civilian administrations in the country had made some a song and dance of the provision of infrastructure especially hospitals either in coup speeches or during election campaigns. Today, as we talk numbers, we cannot count enough well-equipped hospitals. As a matter of fact, the Secretary to the Federal Government and the chairman of the Taskforce for the Covid-19 pandemic expressed outrage at the messy state of public health institutions in the country. One is surprised that he is surprised though.
For so long, the number of functional hospitals have never really mattered to most Nigerian leaders all levels. The population and number of health workers seem not to have mattered. At some point last year, the Minister of Labour and productivity, a medical doctor, Chris Ngige boasted that Nigeria had enough doctors and so those doctors that wished to go for greener pastures were free. The media expressed outrage but he never withdrew his statement.
Today, even countries that have an above average medical workforce in different medical fields are overwhelmed with patients given the pandemic in town. It must worry every citizen that with increased spread of the virus, tragedy of a huge proportion might be around the corner. The idea of not counting numbers in any form prior to this time is thoroughly regrettable in a country with a global impact and import like Nigeria.
As the world tries to battle the deadly pandemic, numbers of patients, the discharged and the dead should not be the only focus of governments and agencies. There ought to be details about the number of people tested across the country because recent reports indicate that rural Nigeria is not spared given that the lockdown has not been wholly accepted and functional. Citizens out of ignorance, fatalism and illiteracy are living in denial about the existence and impact of the pandemic.
Concentrating on cities like Lagos, Abuja and Abeokuta signposts a country with myopic idea about the global pandemic at this time. Countries like Singapore, New Zealand and Denmark tried to proactively limit the casualties by using strategies that work with numbers. Nigeria with a population of almost two hundred million must begin to pay attention to numbers. For a virus that thrives with numbers, Nigeria might sadly provide a fertile ground given the existing living conditions.
Community spread has been identified as a good ground for the virus to prosper, Nigeria must realize that counted or not, most citizens live in family and clan clusters. This period must be a lesson to governments to put more efforts into town planning in ways that citizens live healthily in identifiably numbered buildings. Numbers and addresses matter. The idea of National identity cards has never been more needed. For years, it has been a round robin game and today, the chicken has come home to roost.
Today, the need for the distribution of palliatives has stirred divisive sentiments and chaos because the available items and cash are distributed in ways that are not perceived by many as very transparent. In countries that work with numbers and demographic statistics, it is almost an effortless exercise as citizens get their items or checks with their social security numbers. It is not rocket science, it is a result of national planning that spans the years.
A Nigeria that can leap to development must realize that crass partisanship has its grave flaws. Institutions must be built to work like in other countries. Numbers and statistics are the basis of national planning. If banks and telecom companies can effortlessly have data on citizens, why would a country not plan with numbers and data? At the end of this pandemic, governments must create systems that work in the long run. Counting only electoral votes do not a country make. Planning for development must have a base and that base is the developed and healthy human capital that drive and sustain development through the ages.
We must continue this dialogue…
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