Commentary: Action Imperatives for COVID-19 in Africa

Reflections by Dr. Andrew Nevin, Price Waterhouse Cooper Nigeria, 5 April 2020

The Dahdaleh Institute invited Dr. Andrew Nevin, a Partner and Chief Economist at PWC Nigeria, to offer his views on core structural imperatives in dealing with COVID-19 in Africa beyond healthcare responses.

In the absence of a climate effect, Dr. Nevin warns African countries are headed for a humanitarian crisis in part due to weak healthcare systems, vulnerable populations, limited risk messaging, overcrowded housing and other difficulties with socially distancing. He anticipates the impacts in Africa could include:

• Significant reduction in daily wages;
• Breakdown of food supply chains;
• Inability of the public sector to function virtually;
• Strong private sector response in managing their businesses;
• Confusion about who is in charge, and
• Lack of information.

Based on these anticipated impacts, Dr. Nevin identified the following non-health system related priorities for African countries for COVID-19:

1. Direct transfers to the bottom of the pyramid to replace purchasing power;
2. Ensuring that food supply chains keep working;
3. Getting organized private sector to support the public sector (e.g. national emergency committees as decision-making bodies with government and industry partners);
4. Rapid and coordinated economic support and debt relief by international finance institutions; and
5. Reflect on possible structural change (e.g. economic decentralization) following response