COVID-19: Nigerians’ second country, Canada, is paying businesses, families as they sit at home
As countries across the world continue to put measures in place to combat the novel coronavirus, Canada, which is famous among Nigerians as their dream home and second country is rolling out unique economic initiatives as part of measures to combat the spread and also protect its economy and jobs of its citizens and non-citizens.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University in the US, nearly 220,000 people have now been confirmed infected with the virus globally, and while at least 84,000 people have recovered, more than 8,800 have died. This development has forced many to sit at home and self-isolate
France, Spain and Italy have ordered total lockdown. While the United States has also shut its borders. Several African countries have also shut their borders against non-citizens coming from high-risk countries.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who many Nigerian netizens whimsically prefer to address as their president, announced on Wednesday that the government will be putting money into the hands of Canadians and their families as they stay at home to self-isolate and would also be supporting businesses in need of support to navigate this challenging period.
In a Twitter statement, he wrote:
“No matter who you are or what you do, right now you should be focused on your health – and not about whether you will lose your job or run out of money for things like groceries or medicine. So today, we announced our plan that will help you and your family.
“If you do not qualify for Employment Insurance and do not have access to paid sick leave but have to self-isolate or quarantine, or if you need to take care of a family member who has COVID-19, you can receive an Emergency Care Benefit every two weeks for 14 weeks.
“If you have kids, we will boost your Canada Child Benefit to help with the increase in childcare costs as schools remain closed. And in the coming months, we will add more to your GST Credit – every adult who qualifies will get up to $300, and every child up to $150.
“If you own a small business, we will provide you with a temporary wage subsidy for three months so you can keep your workers on the payroll during these uncertain and challenging times. Because no one should feel like they have to lay off a worker due to COVID-19.
The PM’s move is innovative and the first of its kind among measures being put in place by countries across the world. The Canadian intervention fund is not only for citizens, as the PM has said “no matter who you are”. The over 50,000 Nigerians who live in the North American country (according to a 2016 census) would also benefit from the government’s intervention.
Canada is home to thousands of Nigerians who often claim they took the decision to emigrate for better economic opportunities, strong social safety, and to give their family a better future among other reasons. In the past five years, Nigeria has witnessed a mass exodus of skilled and middle-class citizens, who resign from well-paying jobs to move to Canada with their family.
In 2019, Canadian permanent resident permits were issued to 12,595 Nigerians, ranking Nigeria as the country with the fourth highest number of skilled workers emigrating to Canada behind, India, China and Philippines.
On social media, the subject of emigrating to Canada always dominate conversation among Nigerian netizens. The debates are heightened whenever Trudeau announces a government policy on Twitter that would benefit citizens and residents. When news broke last Thursday that the PM’s wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for coronavirus, Nigeria social media community went into a frenzy as many Twitter users called for prayers for Sophie who they described as “the wife of our leader”.
