The past few days in Nigeria has been a bit tensed with the news of increasing number of COVID-19 cases in different part of the countries. The spread of the cases is baffling especially with four states in the South-West zone of Nigeria being affected. While this has called for prompt responses by the government on placing travel restrictions from countries with high incidence rate to the circulation of information on hygiene routine and appealing to recent travelers to self-isolate, yet one cannot ignore the sparks of fear and anxiety that came to the mind of Nigerians.
Nevertheless, life must be lived and in order to do that, the needful has to be done individually as well as nationally.
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There is a common saying that many people are affected by their reaction to events more than the event itself. Therefore, in order to help you on your reaction to the recent happenings, I will be sharing 3 tips on how you can use tech in spite of the global pandemic of COVID-19:
- Tech, Social Media and Information:
Technology has gifted us with the ability to condition social interactions the way we like with the use of social media and its algorithm. While social media can be a blessing in terms of connecting to loved ones who are beyond one’s immediate environment or thousands of miles away, it can also be a tool for misinformation. Therefore, at a critical time like this, ensure you are using your mobile phone, internet connection and social media channels to inform people on the right things and not to spread rumors. Remember, misinformation can cost another his life. Ensure the information you’re sharing is certified and from a true source like NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control), health agencies, and certified doctors.
- Edtech Apps:
While the recent directive by the government is for schools to be shut down by March 23rd and gatherings above 50 persons to be canceled, some parents are scared about what such long break may do for their ward. Well, no hope is lost. With the aid of technology, you can now discover amazing educational resources for your ward to spend time on. Young children can use YouTube kids to learn alphabets, colors while older students in secondary schools can use edtech apps like Gidimo and ULesson to continue their learning.
For those in tertiary institutions and workers, with some companies moving to work-from-home and commute time reduced due to social distancing, courses on Khan Academy, Coursera, Udemy etc. can also be taken. A global crisis does not mean your life should be in a crisis mode.
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- Develop workable tech solutions
This is an ample opportunity for logistics companies and other tech startups to consider ways to provide solutions for social distancing. Come up with workable fresh ideas to deliver services like foodstuffs, clothes, masks and other items people order in a safe and hygienic way.
There are a wide range of things you can come up with. From using AI to generate data and share information to using biotech to provide solutions or creating programs online to keep people active and educated while they adhere to social distancing.
At such a time as this, I love this quote by Lou Holtz:
“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”
How are you going to respond to the recent happenings in Nigeria and the world at large? Positively? Or from fear and anxiety?
Featured Image Source: HIT Consultant
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