Best of all, the
Coronavirus lockdown scheme is a historic equalizer and thus has a silver
lining for Africa. Our leaders ought to have learned that the African economy
will skyrocket by investing at home and patronizing local products and
facilities.
Any objective
analysis of a long-winded essay, “COVID-19: Can Africa Afford Lockdowns?”, by
Chukwuma Soludo, would wonder if the renowned economist is suddenly cast with a
voodoo spell.
Mr. Soludo needs no
introduction. A distinguished professor of economics, with advanced
degrees—both academic and honoris causa—from the prestigious University of
Nigeria, he was a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and
currently a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Advisory Council.
It is not surprising, therefore, that his voice roars in some quarters as a
bullet-proof solution to the country’s myriad of problems.
However, in a
seemingly attempt to employ novel theories to rubbish plausible anti-COVID-19
measures that have produced good results in many developed and developing
economies, including Nigeria, Soludo succeeded in doing nothing but use
delusive ideas to create more problems than solutions.
In short, the essay
depicted the former CBN Governor as a poor imitation of Donald Trump, a
nescient narcist who never hesitates to spew nonsense just to be in the news.
Though Soludo raised some salient points, quite alright, he was going off on
tangents, rambling, clearly ducking the truth about COVID-19 and, in the
process, peddled fallacies as facts.
The most
disingenuous is that, while discrediting lockdowns by African nations, Soludo
claimed that, “China isolated Wuhan, and kept Shanghai, Beijing, and other
major economic engines open, and today, China supplies the world with medical
equipment, face masks, etc., and is raking-in hundreds of billions of
dollars).” That is sheer fallacy.
The fact is that
major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, experienced lock downs
until the virus plateaued. The following account from a practical observer, as
reported in the Washington Post of March 16, 2020, is instructive: “Six weeks
earlier, I had watched China shut itself down as the coronavirus epidemic first
exploded in Wuhan, and then spilled across the country and beyond…I saw China’s
whole economic machinery, from the curbside noodle shops to sprawling tech
campuses, clank to a halt as the government pulled out every stop to contain
the virus’s spread.”
The import is that,
even as the lockdowns in Africa may not have been backed with adequate
palliatives, the strategy is widely proven to be effective. The situation could
have been worse in Nigeria, if President Buhari had not locked down Lagos and
Abuja as at the time he did. After all, as Lagos and Abuja go, so goes the rest
of the country.
In the same swoop,
Soludo wrote that, “In the Western societies from where we copied the lockdown/border
closure, their citizens are literally paid to stay at home… The U.S. Senate
just passed a bill for $484 billion “More Small-Business Stimulus”, including a
$320 billion “Paycheck Protection Program” to enable small businesses pay their
staff salaries for two months.” The
example with the United States is misleading and only serves to fuel anger
among the Nigerian masses.
Anybody but
Professor Chukwuma Soludo! A simple scan of the internet readily reveals the
harsh realities of lockdowns and the extent of the so-called stimulus package
in the United States. Reports abound about the over 30 million Americans who
have lost their jobs the last 45 days and millions more who have no money to
pay for food or shelter. The life in America had always been better before
Coronavirus and remains better while battling the disease, but the current
situation is a far cry from the picture the professor was painting.
This is not the time
for inflammatory innuendoes. Unlike in America which has become the COVID-19
global epicenter, lockdowns in China succeeded because the people had a
coherent message and the mental discipline to execute the agenda. Therefore,
Soludo must not ignore science and security to confuse Nigerians by “copying
and pasting” the COVID-19 visions of Donald Trump, whose every medical idea has
cost more lives than it has saved lives.
Instead of
lampooning lockdowns, without tested alternatives, the former CBN governor
should deploy the energy towards increasing the palliatives needed to alleviate
the effects of the coronavirus, efficient management of the palliatives, and
the life after. Instead of careless conjectures, he should defer to medical
opinions and adhere to directives from relevant authorities.
The most blatant is
Soludo’s admonition that “African countries should urgently dismantle the
border closures.” This was not unexpected, though. The idea stems from a voodoo
economic theory that gained currency in the eighties under US President Ronald
Reagan but ended up paralyzing the American manufacturing base and turned China
into a global powerhouse. It is similar to the open border policy promoted by
Nigeria at the time Soludo reigned as CBN Governor that pauperized the
country’s productive capacity and, consequently, produced a multitude of
overnight billionaires while subjecting millions to abject penury.
On no account should
Nigeria relapse to open border economy, as being canvassed by Soludo. This goes
without saying that a level of protectionism is vitally essential for true
Nigerian independence. Imagine what could have been, if the country still
depended on imported rice and chicken during the COVID-19 experience!
The piffle
presumptions did not stop at lockdowns and border closures. The economist
equally poked insult on the philanthropists, who donated money to the COVID-19
campaign, labeling them “photo charity.” The statement in and of itself is
uncharitable, to say the least. The program’s flaws notwithstanding, he ought
to have reasoned that, besides the politicians, these donors include innocent
Nigerians and even the poor Samaritans. Their efforts, no matter how small,
have touched lives from the villages to the larger society.
Finally, to answer
Soludo’s central question: “Can Africa Afford Lockdowns?”. YES, Africa has already been able to afford
the lockdowns in a significant way or even better. The continent clearly
contained COVID-19 more than their counterparts, thanks to the African
exceptionalism of good weather, nutrition, and timely interventions, such as
the lockdowns, selfless healthcare workers, “photo charity”, family support
systems, and a resilient populace. The economic forecast is gloomy, like
elsewhere, but Africa will soon re-open, probably faster than many developed
economies.
Best of all, the
Coronavirus lockdown scheme is a historic equalizer and thus has a silver
lining for Africa. Our leaders ought to have learned that the African economy
will skyrocket by investing at home and patronizing local products and
facilities. Nigerian leaders, for instance, might have learned to lead by
example, matching words with action in all facets of the national economy,
particularly in the Power, Aviation, Automobile, Steel, Healthcare, and
Education sectors.
SKC Ogbonnia, 2019
APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Ugbo, Awgu, Enugu State
Twitter: @
SKCOgbonnia
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