Against the backdrop of global economic strains resulting from COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew by 1.87% Year on Year (YoY) in real terms, according to the data published by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The performance recorded in Q1 2020, represents a drop of -0.23% points compared to Q1 2019 and -0.68% points compared to Q4 2019, reflecting the earliest effects of the disruption, particularly on the non-oil economy. Quarter on quarter, real GDP growth was -14.27% compared to 5.59% recorded in the Q4 2019.

The oil sector performance stood at average daily production of 2.07 million barrels per day (mbpd). The production level was higher than the 1.99mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2019 by 0.08mbpd and the fourth quarter of 2019 by 0.06mbpd.

There was a record of real growth rate of 5.06% yoy in the Q1 2020, indicating an increase of 6.51% points relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2019. However, there was -1.30% points decrease compared to Q4 2019 which was 6.36%. Quarter-on-quarter, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of 11.30% in Q1 2020.

Consequently, the non-oil sector added 1.55% growth in real terms in Q1 2020. That’s -0.93% points slower compared to the same quarter in 2019, and -072% slower than the Q4 of 2019.

The non-oil sector was sparked mainly by telecommunications, finance, agriculture, mining and quarrying and construction. The non-oil sector contributed 90.50% to the nation’s GDP in Q1 2020, in real terms, compared to 90.78% of the same quarter in the preceding year, and 92.68% in the Q4. Road transport, quarrying, accommodation, real estate and food services recorded the lowest performance.

In the mining and quarrying sector, which consists of crude petroleum and natural gas, coal mining, metal ore and other minerals, there was a nominal growth of -10.57% yoy in Q1 2020. While metal ore recorded the highest growth rate of all sub-activities at 8.72%, followed by crude petroleum and natural gas activity which stood at -10.20%, it was crude petroleum and natural gas that contributed most to the sector with 99.51% growth in the Q1 2020.

The mining and quarrying sector grew in real terms by 4.58% yoy, compared to the same quarter of 2019, the Q1 2020 was higher by 5.95% points but lower by -1.49% points when compared to Q4 2019. The quarter on quarter growth recorded stood at 9.36%. The total contribution of mining and quarrying to the real GDP was 9.54% for Q1 2020.

In the agricultural sector, there was a 22.47% yoy growth in nominal terms in the Q1 2020, indicating a decline of -0.11% points from the same quarter in 2019. The sector recorded an increase of 8.66% points when compared to the 13.80% growth rate of Q4 2019. Crop production accounted for 90.54% of overall nominal growth in the sector. Quarter on quarter growth stood at -19.58% in Q1 2020. The agricultural sector contributed 20.88% to nominal GDP in the Q1 of 2020.

The agricultural sector grew by 2.20% year on year in the first quarter of 2020, in real terms, indicating a -0.97% points compared to the same quarter in 2019. On a quarter on quarter basis, the real agriculture sector growth was -27.81%. The sector made 21.96% contribution to overall GDP in real terms in Q1 2020.

Information and communication sector’s growth stood at 8.94% in nominal terms yoy, a -2.51% points decrease from the rate of 11.45% recorded in the same quarter of 2019, and -0.93% points lower than the rate recorded in the preceding quarter. There was a -7.20% quarter on quarter growth in the first quarter of 2020.

The information and communication sector contributed 10.31% to total nominal GDP in the Q1 2020, lower than the rate of 10.60% recorded in the same quarter of 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, the information and communications sector recorded a growth rate of 7.65% in real terms, yoy. Compared to the same period of the preceding year, there’s a decrease of -1.84% points. Quarter on quarter growth stood at -8.02% in real terms. The sector contributed 14.07% to total real GDP in Q1 2020.

The increase recorded in most of the sectors contributed to the 1.87% GDP growth, but compared to the preceding year, the Q1 2020 has underperformed, mainly, due to the decline in oil price and events that the year 2020 was ushered in with.

With this scorecard, the second quarter of the year will undoubtedly yield negative growth due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF)  said Nigeria should brace up for its worst recession.

In the latest move, the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has launched an emergency review of the UK’s contract with Huawei for 5G roll out. The NCSC is expected to find out if Huawei could still be allowed to continue with the planned deployment of its technologies in providing 5G services in the UK.

The review was announced on Sunday as part of Downing Street’s push to eliminate Huawei’s involvement in the activities of the 5G network in the UK.

The UK government has been under intense pressure from the US government to sever ties with the Chinese Company. The pressure was intensified earlier this year with the Trump administration threatening to stop intelligence sharing with London if it continues its relationship with Huawei.

London has been adamant to push Huawei away due the cost of 5G roll out. Huawei offers the cheapest services available in 5G deployment and has used it to keep a lot of customers in their grip. The UK believes it will cost the government more to switch to another company right now.

But the latest sanction announced by the US government against Huawei that requires that chip and semiconductor producers in the US stop supplying Huawei with telecommunication components, has necessitated the emergency review and created a fresh ground for the UK authorities to oust the Chinese company.

Now, the new turn is coming from Downing Street, pushing to see that Huawei is eliminated from all British telecommunication by 2023.

According to Guardian, it was suggested on Friday that Downing Street is preparing the ground for a dramatic climbdown. A government spokesman was quoted as saying: “Following the US announcement of additional sanctions against Huawei, the NCSC is looking carefully at any impact they could have to the UK’s networks.”

The new US sanction billed to take effect from September means Huawei has only China to source chips and semiconductors from. And that’s where the concern lies. London believes the situation increases the chances of security breaches and requires urgent attention.

Guardian reported Whitehall sources saying that the effect of the US sanctions will mean that Huawei will rely on unfamiliar and untested components that could be exploited. And that makes the security threat it will pose inevitable.

Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has put a strain on the relationship between china and the United Kingdom. The British government has suspected that the Chinese government has a hand in the outbreak of the virus, and they are not being honest about it. The situation has dampened the UK’s determination to allow Huawei to lead its 5G roll out.

The sanction will mean that Huawei’s lead in global 5G deployment will suffer a severe setback, and Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland may see themselves dominating the 5G market.

Conservatives MPs, led by Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Bob Seely have been pushing for the reduction of Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G deployment to zero. Spurred by US pressure and lack of trust in China, the duo believe they now have the numbers to stop the British government from legislating for a 35% cap on Huawei in Britain.

The opposition to Huawei’s participation in the UK’s 5G deployment is increasing daily, and will likely rise to the numbers needed to oust Huawei in coming weeks. Seely reportedly tweeted, “now 59 MPs” on Sunday. Meaning that the Conservative Huawei Interest Group, has beaten the numbers (44) required to defeat Boris Johnson and the Tories to it, though they are the majority.

With intensifying pressure within and outside Britain, it may be game over for Huawei. Mathew Henderson, director of the Asia Studies Center the Henry Jackson Society said the push for a review is evidence that the government’s previous position was untenable.

“This review is recognition that the government’s previous position on Huawei was untenable, both due to the scale of opposition in parliament and from our allies,” he said.

Huawei has repeatedly pledged to be transparent in its business and operate independently from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Its vice chairman Victor Zhang said they will be glad to discuss the issue with NCSC.

“We are happy to discuss with NCSC any concerns they may have and hope to continue the close working relationship we have enjoyed for the last 10 years.”

I came across a post, where someone blamed the government for not finding a way to ensure that children continued with their formal education despite the pandemic. The person insinuated that the government’s laissez-faire attitude towards education during this pandemic shows how education is not valued in Nigeria. He further stated that other countries have found ways of keeping children’s academic activities running smoothly and so our government should follow suit.

Of course the only way to send children back to school at this time in history is through the internet. Alternatively, we can try the “radio schools” programme that is happening right now in Enugu State. But, unfortunately, Nigeria is not ready for online teaching. As for teaching through the radio, that is the joke of the century.

It should be noted that some private school owners have considered engaging their students through online tutorials but a lot of factors are hindering their plans. Many entrepreneurs that recently kicked-off something close to an online school are actually targeting secondary school students, especially those that are about to write their WAEC. Some of them may be succeeding, anyway, but their impacts are yet to be felt.

For the many that have considered engaging their students through online teaching and learning, the factors hindering the execution of their plans include cost of data, lack of access to computers, unstable power supply, poor economy, lack of technical know-how, lack of interest, and unsuitable methodology.

• Cost of Data

Mobile data is very expensive in Nigeria. To be able to participate in these classes, both the students and their teachers will need to subscribe to a data plan. If the classes require that video and audio files should be used, it then means that these people will spend a lot of money during a 30-minute or one hour class. When you check how much that will be spent on data alone in a week, you will be discouraged.

• Access to Computer

When many people talk about online classes I feel the urge to ask them how the children will gain access to computers for their learning. Some may tell you that the children should use their parents’ own, but they forgot that it’s not all the parents that own computers. The parents that have usually use theirs for business transactions, which they wouldn’t want their children to jeopardise. Even the option of mobile phones may not work here because most children don’t own phones until they’re through with secondary school.

1. Unstable Power Supply

Of course going into this problem is unnecessary. Every Nigerian knows what NEPA (aka Disco) does to the system. So you can imagine paying for online classes for your children, providing laptops or desktops for them, connecting the computer to the internet, loading up data, and then running generators on top of everything. The thought of this alone is enough to shut down the plan.

• Poor Economy

Poverty and unstable power supply are two monsters that have found fertile soils in Nigeria. Actually, poverty seems to be more powerful and can bring about the birth of other minor monsters. Coming to online teaching and learning, children from poor and working class homes cannot afford to register and partake in these classes. It will also be hard for them to obtain the logistics needed for the classes. So if the government gives a go ahead order for online tutorials for primary and secondary schools, children from these social classes will lose out.

• Lack of Technical Know-How

Children in urban areas may be able to operate computers but I can’t say that for those in rural areas. Apart from the students, some teachers are also not computer literate. Even if these people know how to boot and shut down a computer, how many of them know how to navigate through the lesson platform to be able to access their class activities? It is true that practice makes perfect but this is something that may require some training before it kicks off. However, it is necessary that schools use this period to realise how important computer practice lessons are so that when schools reopen, they can teach these children practical computer operations.

• Lack of Interest

As the saying goes, you can take a horse to the stream but you can’t force it to drink. There are certain things about physical classrooms that virtual ones don’t have. For instance, companionship, friendship and team spirit these children have built over the years as classmates in physical classrooms cannot be found in virtual ones. Truth is that most at times, these students go to school because it provides them with the opportunity to meet and relate with their friends. This opportunity is lacking in virtual classrooms. The result here is that these students easily feel bored with lesson activities when they face their computers.

• Unsuitable Methodology

My children’s school online tutorial was designed so that parents and guardians attend online classes with the children. They expect parents and guardians to be there to monitor and explain the lesson contents to their children. It automatically made parents home lesson tutors except that this time, parents will obtain their materials from the school’s online classes. This method may be favourable for children that have private tutors (which is not advisable in this period) and/or less busy literate parents. But for those whose parents are illiterates and/or busy, this method won’t work.

Like I told one of my neighbours, we shouldn’t worry so much about our young children going back to school; they will definitely pick up from where they stopped before the COVID-19 lockdown. Maybe we need to bond with them more during this pandemic before they go back to their 7 to 5 academic routine. As for older children, especially those that will soon sit for their SSCE, parents should provide them with books and other educational materials that they will study and acquire knowledge. Those that can afford online tutorials should go ahead with that. But let it be known that Nigeria is not yet ripe for online schools.