It is no gainsaying that most Nigerians do not believe COVID-19 is real in spite of very compelling evidence including the rise in the number of recorded cases in recent weeks.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the reasons most Nigerians still doubt the existence of the pandemic in the country. Here are the reasons;
1. Most Nigerians believe that, the fact people are not dropping dead as they are in the US and Europe is enough reason to believe COVID-19 is fake and this erroneous assumption has led many to their early graves.
2. Another major reason is the body language of influential Nigerians. Most government officials, political leaders, influential people and celebrities have generally carried on like there’s no COVID-19. It is not a rare sight to see them at events (otherwise super spreaders) without masks and not observing social distancing. A recent example is the Napoli forward Victor Osimhen who was fined by his club for violating the COVID-19 protocols during his celebration in Lagos.
3. The role of religious leaders and conspiracy theorists: The scandalous teachings by some religious leaders is also a contributory factor to the ‘non-existence’ of COVID-19 by most Nigerians who see the former as idols that should be worshipped. They see most of the erroneous teachings on COVID-19 by these religious leaders as being true, as such, there is an illusion of ‘Corona is scam’ in their minds. You would recall a Nigerian pastor once described COVID-19 as an idea from the pit of hell and a conspiracy against the Church while others see it as a ‘technological warfare’ between the US and China.
4. Payment for negative test results: This was widely reported by many media outlets and some independent journalists on social media. That has contributed to putting a lie to the story of COVID-19 and even further fueled the story belief that the pandemic is an enterprise for government officials to steal public funds.
5. The Nigerian mentality: Nigerians are people with distinct ideologies and mindsets. More often than not, the people have the believe that bad leadership is the major cause of poverty and corruption in the country, hence, they see every leader as corrupt and morally bankrupt because of what they were made to believe.
This mindset has affected the attitude of most Nigerians to the management of COVID-19 by government agencies, especially the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Some persons believe the government officials are only enriching themselves and have little or no sympathy for the masses who are the direct victims of this inhumane act.
It is on this note, I recommend that the various authorities saddled with the responsibility of managing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the country should as a matter of urgency look into the highlighted reasons and re-strategise ways to improve upon their service to Nigerians because ‘the death of one Nigerian is death of ALL’. Strike while the iron is hot!
– Arogbonlo Israel writes from Lagos.
