Social Distancing and the communal nature of Nigerians

The world is confronted with the challenge of fighting and ending the Coronavirus pandemic, which has led to the loss of lives and almost totally grounded the global economy.

While medics across the world (with the World Health Organization, taking the lead)are working on how to come up with the right vaccine that would end the ravaging plague, the advocacy on the lips of most people for now, is on the need to practice preventive measures.

Maintaining personal hygiene, reporting suspicious medical challenges of people to government hospitals and adhering to the advisory on social distancing, are some of the preventive measures daily canvassed in the overall determination to end the hugely damaging COVID - 19 plague.

While this piece is not focused on highlighting the damage Coronavirus is causing the world, it is imperative to concisely dwell on the preventive measures, particularly keeping personal hygiene and respecting social distancing to stay safe.

Arguably, maintaining personal hygiene remains a huge challenge in the rural, riverine areas and densely populated " gettos", suffice to say that the same challenge applies when it comes to adhering to the advisory on social distancing.

In as much as the advocacy on social distancing is intensifying globally, it must be acknowledged that it would take a long time for Africans, particularly Nigerians to imbibe social distancing as a way of life. This is because, by nature our lifestyle is communal. We eat, drink together, live in close abode and often times embrace one another unconsciously.

An apology by the SGF, Boss Mustapha, acknowledging that the advisory on social distancing wasn't adhered to 100% during the funeral ceremony of late Abba Kyari, despite initial warnings by the federal government, is a clear testament of the challenges ahead. Nigerians express their compassion and general feelings in different ways, irrespective of the inherent danger in times as this.

Even journalists, camera men and other media field workers in their legitimate duty to scoop for news during interviews, unconsciously ignore the advisory on social distancing. It is not uncommon till date to see between 10 and 15 media practitioners scrambling in a tight space to interview news sources ( especially political leaders) without keeping social distancing or wearing face masks. It was against this backdrop that the Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area in Delta State, Dr. Michael Tidi, Monday April 20, donated hand sanitizers and face masks to members of Warri Correspondents' Chappel of NUJ.

While the advocacy on social distancing should be stepped up by all stakeholders, it must be noted that it would take time for traders and buyers in our major markets to imbibe the culture of social distancing, everyone must take up the responsibility of driving the advocacy and not blaming any particularly institution if the advisory on social distancing is flouted.

Metsese Anthony Ebule, a media practitioner and social commentator, writes from Warri.

×