Covid-19 came to Lagos with a big bang!
No. It’s beyond the big bang theory. It came with a loud disruption!
From Ojuelegba to Iyana’paja, the world we used to know was distorted.
Suddenly we couldn’t party again at Cubana.
Raising holy hands in one accord became a taboo.
The brands were forcefully separated from the consumers.
CEOs were thrown out of their offices as Zoom takes centerstage.
Yes, that damn app kicked us all out of our boardrooms and redefined the future of meetings.
Every bedroom became a virtual office.
Churches that have long positioned technology as an evil trend were forced to embrace it as the newest darling.
Adapt or die becomes the rule of the game.
Covid-19 also came with seasons.
Season 1 was filled with fear and mad fun.
Corona fever gripped the mother earth.
Tic-Tok videos of bored people killing time and having fun flooded social media.
Police also flogged the hell of the people all over the world.
Suddenly, everyone turned expert on Covid-19 as discussions revolve around the 5G conspiracy theory, Bill Gates’ digital vaccine, and the 666 marks of the beast.
Everyone also pretended to be fully immersed in the future as e-learning took the epicenter and digital certificates swamped our timelines.
Season 2 was a bit more violent.
Hunger drove people to Lagos streets.
One million boys trended madly in Lagos.
From Agege, Abule Egba, Iyana’paja, Ikotun, Ilasamaja, Okota, and Ogba, sporadic gunshots, and violent attacks from the One million boys reigned.
Dogs bark. Whistles blew. Smokes in the air. Tyres burnt.
Followed by violent knocks on gates and forceful dragging of people from their homes. Stealing. Robbery. Sharpened machetes brandishing in the air.
All in the midst of a total power blackout.
NEPAAAAAAA!
Season 2 was filled with suspense, more fear, and intrigues.
However, this post is not about Covid-19 but our collective future thereafter.
Big businesses are asking questions: what happens after the Covid-19 lockdown? How do we create experiences and connect brands to consumers? Small businesses and startups are also asking similar questions, reacting to McKinsey’s report that 80% of startups will not survive the crisis.
This is a big concern for the ecosystem and triggered me into consultancy talks with a couple of startups on strategy and innovation, focusing on innovating beyond Covid-19.
This is the time for brand intelligence strategists and cohorts to begin to plot an economic comeback post-Covid. We need to support each other during this lockdown, beyond Food Aid or the N5000 handouts from the government and begin to see how cocreation could trigger our economic future.
In case you need to get some shit outta your head. Holla.
The best things in life are free.
