Renown risk management expert, Joachim Adenusi, has called on leaders of the industry, government, and advocacy organizations to raise the awareness of the deadly coronavirus, as the virus spread over the week, and has sparked concern worldwide.
Joachim, a partner at Conrad Clark, a 16-year-old Risk Management outfit, spoke on the need to take preventive measure at this point, to avoid the Ebola experience that almost ravaged the country due to our porous immigration process, and what the country should be doing, as a matter of urgency.
He wrote:
“PREVENTION is better than cure”
‘Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)…’ World Health Organization
Like Ebola…
The deadly Ebola virus found its way onto Nigerian soil on by airplane after a Liberian man infected by the virus had flown into Lagos from Monrovia.
As at the time, Ebola was an epidemic disease ravaging our west African neighbors, we at individually, communally or government level never had a plan in place to check the outbreak from getting to our shores. We were exposed to a very high level of human capital risk that cost us lives.
Here is another deadly virus on the rampage. Cases of this disease have been reported in countries like UK, USA, UAE, Malaysia, Australia, France, Japan, and Korea. All cases were traced to people who have in recent times be in the Wahun regions of China.
Why should Nigeria care?
The bilateral trade relationship between Nigeria and China reached $8.6bn from January to June 2019 with 20.7 percent year-on-year growth. China now is still Nigeria’s largest source of imports and second-largest trading partner.
With the aforementioned, the movement to and fro China and Nigeria route is a matter of necessity for economic and other reasons. Considering the state of things, even travel restriction has been put in place in China. The fear of having another Patrick Sawyer should make our system and institutions be on red alert.
Also, while we are watching our backs, it is important that we also put structures in place to manage this kind of human capital risk.
What we should start doing now in Nigerian?
Restrictions on flights from East Asia
Quarantine service across all ports and borders (air, sea, land)
Increase public awareness
Hospitals in high alert
Staff awareness for businesses
There are no vaccines for human coronavirus infections yet. Prevention should be highly embraced.
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