Neusroom 100 Editorial: People, Organizations, Countries and Things Helping the World Conquer Covid-19
The year 2020 will go down in history as the year that disrupted, halted and destabilised a lot of plans. World’s best predictors didn’t see what befell the world coming, even world’s famous Paul the Octopus, would have failed if it predicted what may happen in 2020.
The coronavirus which was first discovered in Wuhan city, China on November 17, 2019, brought a cloud of uncertainty and panic on the world. It threw the global economy into a turmoil as it travelled across the globe in less than two months. It forced the world to go into a lockdown, economic, social, political and sporting events were not spared. It also proved it is no respecter of status – it infected and killed many prominent people, President Muhammadu Buhari’s former Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Africa’s legendary singer Manu Dibango, American rapper Fred the Godson, were part of the over 500,000 people who have so far lost the battle. And it is far from over.
Amid the crisis, some people, organisations, nations and things stood in the gap for the world to conquer the unseen enemy threatening our collective existence. It has not been rosy for many of them too, their businesses have also been affected by the pandemic, yet they are standing up for the world.
The 40 people, 30 organisations, 20 countries and 10 things we spotlight on this list range from political leaders and business moguls, to conglomerates and local organisations, health workers at the frontline, scientists, artistes and a number of relatively unknown people who are showing responsibility.
We measure how much impact their contributions and decisions are having on local and global fights against the deadly virus. The list includes decision makers like the President of South Africa (Africa’s epicentre), Cyril Ramaphosa who in April rolled out new $26bn budget to relieve hunger and social distress, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos – the epicentre of the virus in Nigeria (most populous nation in Africa) and Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York – the epicentre of the virus in the U.S who are all showing responsive leadership.
There are different yardsticks in measuring their influence, one of the 20 countries on the list – Madagascar, may be an African island with a population not as large as Lagos and Kano combined, but it is making a remarkable impact with its Covid-organics supplied to other African nations to fight the virus.
A face mask, one of the 10 things on the list is so small that it can be folded into a pocket, but its impact in preventing the spread of the virus has shown that size does not always matter. It is now becoming a crime in many cities across the world to go out of your home without using one. In Rivers State Nigeria, you will be arrested, quarantined and prosecuted if you go out of your home without using a face mask.
Jack Ma’s 1.1 million test kits and protective materials donated to 54 African countries and other countries in Europe and the U.S were critical to Africa’s response to the pandemic during the early stage of the outbreak in March. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through its $100 million commitment to the pandemic has been funding vaccine trials, clinical studies and basic research related to finding a vaccine for the virus. Laudable initiatives and contributions from Aliko Dangote, the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), Temie Giwa-Tubosun of LifeBank, the Silicon Valley CEOs – Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Jeff Bezos among others, have also given the world a shape during the disruption.
MTN, ViacomCBS and MultiChoice’s use of their wide reach to sensitise millions across Africa on the virus has helped to dispel conspiracy theories and fake news and better educate the people. Video conferencing app, Zoom helped the world stay together and keep business running while people are socially distancing.
Millions of people across the world have made remarkable impacts and contributions towards fighting the pandemic, but after a nomination process that included suggestions from our readers and social media followers, followed by a strict selection and pruning process supervised by our CEO Femi Falodun, the ID Africa team and our colleagues at Black House Media (BHM) trimmed the list to 100.
According to Falodun, ID Africa created the Neusroom 100 project as “a celebration of hope, and an acknowledgement of humanity’s collective will to survive.”
He added: “Neusroom 100 highlights the sacrifices and contributions of women, men, organisations, nations and even things – products of humanity’s creativity that are helping the world win in this long fight against COVID-19.”
We must say that the process of settling for 100 was a very difficult one, considering how millions of people and organisations, nations across the world, that didn’t make this list, each on their own, have shown what it is to be responsible and be human while they are also losing. We all cannot agree on those who made the list and those who didn’t, but what this list will further do is to evoke a healthy debate on what others are also doing and bring them to the fore for recognition – we expect that.
Meanwhile, those on this list have shown that they do not just hold scientific, political and economic power, they know how to use it to wield influence and inspire the world. And they are doing it well.
