COVID-19 and e-activities: Coping with the paradigm shift

Since the government of Nigeria and other countries of the world have shutdown their economies and restricted movements in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of people have turned to the internet for solace. While some individuals find it easy adjusting to this new normal, a vast majority of the populace are still at sea in terms of adapting to this new lifestyle. Adodo Eddy Osaman who is a training specialist in Canada and advocates for education sheds light on this.

Osaman said: “The past 2 months have seen unprecedented changes in the way we now live. We have all taken to the internet to cover the gap of human absence. Nowadays almost everything is now done online- from education to remote work, business meetings, church services, and even concerts and disco parties! In Nigeria and other African countries where internet and electricity are still erratic, a vast majority of the populace still finds this new normal a luxury. Most employees are made to work remotely without adequate provisions made by their employers. A lot of academic institutions that were not ICT compliant prior to the lockdown have remained closed till date, leaving the students at the mercy of academic dormancy. For those who are having remote classes, the students are not coming to par in terms of learning interest and rate of assimilation. Others have also developed ingenuity in cheating during these online classes by creating false online presence and masquerading as being active during the online class. During a recent interview in some of the worst-hard hit countries in Europe, a lot of the residents said that they might not want to return to their regular activities even if their governments lift all restrictions and declare normally.

Iurge employers to do their best in ensuring that their workers are well equipped when it comes to working from home. We also pray that the authorities find a breakthrough soon and that things become normal once again.

(Adodo Eddy Osaman a Nigerian-born Training specialist currently in Canada. He is also a renowned educator and mentor in Nigeria and several parts of the world, training adults, youths and kids alike. Born on November 9, 1988 and a graduate of the University of Benin, Osaman loves traveling and helping youths in developing positive career and life choices. He can be reached on Instagram and Twitter: @eddyosaman)