The Lagos Civil Society Coalition Against COVID-19 says it has embarked on a perception study to ascertain the success, impacts and unintended consequences of responses deployed by the Lagos State Government toward containment of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Razaq Olokoba, who is the Executive Director of Humanity Family Foundation, made this known at a press briefing on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 in Lagos.
The coalition is a platform of non-governmental organisations committed to process-led engagement of public health concerns, as well as governance issues relating to COVID-19 pandemic.
The coalition is particularly concerned with monitoring and reporting on the responses being deployed toward containing the spread of the infection.
Olokoba said that the coalition became imperative in Lagos State considering the magnitude of threats to public health constituted by the virulent nature of COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that the perception study would examine predisposing factors, as well as level of vulnerability to transmission of the virus in communities.
“The perception survey is accessing impacts of the lockdown, growing numbers of infection, high rate of community transmission and options available for mitigating the spread of the virus.
“The survey is also targeted at evaluating impacts of critical measures such as total lockdown, social/physical distancing, personal and environmental hygiene, information dissemination, ease of lockdown, #MaskupLagos initiative, neighbourhood /community engagements.
“The perception survey also seeks to evaluate gaps and shortcomings noticeable in government interventions and how the measures could be improved upon,” he said.
According to him, the outcomes of the study will enable the coalition to properly engage the government toward scaling up strategies for contact-tracing, testing and containment of the virus at the community level.
He noted that the coalition would regularly provide updates of its responses to COVID-19 in the state with periodic evaluation of impacts of responses on the environment, awareness creation, performance of government and motivation of healthcare workers.
“The coalition would undertake assessment of engagement of compliance with measures introduced by government and agencies toward controlling the spread of COVID-19.
“We would regularly share salient facts on COVID-19 pandemic with the populace as regards the prevailing myths and seemingly misleading narratives on COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Olokoba maintained that the coalition appreciates and supports the government’s efforts toward containing the spread of the pandemic thus far.
“We, therefore, envisage continued commitment of Lagos residents across board to make huge success of responses being deployed by the government,” he said.
Olokoba said that the coalition would undertake training on monitoring and reporting of situations in the isolation centres, undertake social dialogues on COVID-19 and sensitise journalists and social media influencers.
He added that the coalition would mobilise COVID-19 Civic Engagement Situation Room and engage CSOs actors with networks across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Develepment Areas in the state.
“The Situation Room will periodically review and analyse impacts of COVID-19 interventions and as well access progress of response measures deployed in containing COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
According to him, the coalition is partnering the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), which is currently undertaking COVID-19 related Air Quality Study for Lagos State.
Olokoba listed some organisations which are part of the coalition to include Centre for 21st Century Issues (convener of the coalition), YALI Nigeria South West Region, Project Heart to Earth, National Youth Council of Nigeria, EnviroNews Development Network and ICCDI Africa.
