From Monday, May 4, 2020, Nigerians will begin the process of returning to their normal lives after one month or so of total lockdown. President Muhammadu Buhari set the tone for this on Monday, when he, in a broadcast, announced the plan for phased easing of lockdown, which was first declared from March 29, for two weeks and extended to April 28, for another two weeks and finally to May 3, 2020.

With this, the restriction of movement is over, except in the night when there will be a dusk-to-dawn curfew (8pm to 6am). Offices would resume operations. Banks will open for business. Malls and other outlets will open their doors for business. Commercial transportation will be in place. Yes, there are some guidelines for this “return to normalcy.” In Lagos, business activities will hold from 9am to 3pm – six hours only. Public transporters will carry passengers at 60 per cent capacity. Operations of commercial motorcyclists are suspended. Wearing of face masks will be compulsory in public places. Other states will unfold their guidelines also, which may not be far from what Lagos has announced.

Knowing Nigerians for who they are, it is obvious that many people would, from Monday, start behaving as if everything is now okay. Most people will start living their lives like before, in a typical “nothing will happen” attitude. It wouldn’t be surprising that many would forget about regular washing of hands with soap and running water, maintaining social and physical distancing, observing respiratory hygiene, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, observing guidelines on coughing and sneezing as well as staying at home when it is not necessary to go out. It is possible for some people to start behaving as if they are untouchable and immune to the disease, since many insinuated, at the height of the lockdown, that hunger was more dangerous than the disease, during agitation for return to pre-lockdown life.

No matter what anybody says or how people behave henceforth, the truth is that the COVID-19 danger is not over. In fact, the real fight is now starting. Many are still testing positive for the disease in Nigeria. Deaths are still being recorded. If Nigerians, therefore, go back to their former way of life now that lockdown has been relaxed, the consequences will be better imagined than experienced. This could cause an explosion of coronavirus disease and Nigeria would then be at the centre of a major health disaster, bearing in mind that the country’s capacity to respond to emergency is nothing to write home about.

It is good that government has relaxed the lockdown for the economy’s sake. There is no country where lockdown would be forever. No economy will survive lockdown for too long. It is not sustainable and, therefore, can’t be permanent. However, in opening the economy, there is need to hammer home and enforce the guidelines that would curtail the spread of COVID-19. Failure to do so would bring about regrets.

The fact that offices would open from 9am to 3pm, as in Lagos, does not in any way give people the impetus to believe that all is well and, therefore, flout the rules. Government and private offices should work out modalities whereby workers would function without crowding the premises. Those who could conveniently work from home should still be encouraged to do so. Those who must be physically present in the office must observe the rules outlined to stay safe. Offices that would interface with outsiders must devise ways to maintain social and physical distancing. I expect the admission of people into banks and malls to be systematic, with sets going in at a time in sequence, when those inside would have completed their transactions and left.

The government must enforce the rules. Use of face masks must be enforced. A great effort and close monitoring of the transport system must be made. This is so because public transport is a veritable avenue through which COVID-19 would be spread. The guideline on the number of passengers to carry must be monitored and enforced. The driver and passengers must wear face masks. There should be a standing rule also whereby hand sanitsers are applied to the hands of people boarding commercial buses or vehicles. I expect to see law enforcement agents at bus terminals ensuring that these rules are obeyed. I expect that law enforcement officers would stop commercial buses and vehicles randomly for inspection. Those who fail to comply should be disciplined.

The government should make the continuous disinfection of its premises, offices and public places compulsory. Private offices should also be encouraged to do so. Although capital-intensive, such a practice is for the good of everybody. The fight against coronavirus will continue. It must be decisive. As they say, it is not over until it is over. The ban on public gathering, be it social or religious, is good. The fact that schools are still closed is fantastic. Lifting this ban, when we could do without those activities for now, would be counter-productive.

On the part of Nigerians, they should know that their health and living are in their hands. Also, their death is in their hands. The way they manage their hygiene and what they do, in socialisation and conduct generally, will determine what happens to them, even as God’s protection is the ultimate. I do not see anything difficult in wearing face masks and properly too. I do not see anything difficult in washing hands regularly. I do not see anything difficult in avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands. I do not see anything difficult in observing social distancing. I do not see much difficulty in avoiding handshakes, hugs and close contact with people. I do not see the difficulty in staying at home when it is necessary. These are things Nigerians can conveniently do as well as teach their children to also do.

The COVID-19 war is not over. People will still be infected. People infected will still recover and go home. People will still die from COVID-19. This is the reality of the situation. Until a vaccine for coronavirus is discovered and used, the danger of this pandemic would still be high. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to curtail the spread and keep more people safe.

It is important to note that the partial opening up of the economy does not mean that all is now well with the economy. From all indications, businesses will still be operating at half capacity. This means that the economy cannot come back to full swing immediately. It will take some time – weeks and months. Schools will still remain shut. Flight operations are still suspended. Hotel operations will not be the same, as well as activities in some other sectors of the economy. The consequences of these are job losses and, perhaps, non-payment of full salary or no salary at all. Government should, therefore, continue the plan for stimulus packages that would help businesses. All the programmes the Central Bank of Nigeria has unfolded to help the economy should be implemented with vigour.

Also, the palliatives that government, both state and federal, has extended to the poor should not be stopped. This should be expanded and transparently done for better result. Wealthy individuals and organisations should also continue in their little way to extend humanitarian service to the less privileged by way of food, materials and cash donation. This will go a long way in cushioning the adverse effects of COVID-19 dislocation and social consequences.