The sweep of COVID-19
across cities in Nigeria is causing a rise in panic among citizens. It began
weeks ago, with the ridiculous spike in price of hand sanitizers, and then the
scarcity of these sacred sanitary products.
Just when it seemed
like Nigeria was doing well handling the index case of the popular virus, we’ve
recorded an increasing spike of infected persons in the past week.
Add the saturation
of media with COVID-19 content, great enough to scare anyone, and with the
recent speculations (which was confirmed on Tuesday) that the local markets
will be closing operations, and you’ll get Nigerians, panic-buying.
So what really
should a person buy in these uncertain times? Especially as the reality of
confinement is becoming real in some Nigerian cities. The answer is definitely
not panic-buying hand sanitizers.
Here’s what you
should really be stocking on;
Rice and Pasta: forget every criticism that has been
made about your excessive consumption of rice. This is the one situation where
stocking on rice is permitted. Walk into the nearest supermarket or call up
your customer from the local market and stock enough rice to last at least two
weeks from now. Pastas like spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles, are also choice
foods to consider stocking on.
Dried Fruits and
Nuts: there’s never a
better choice. Because of the nature of dried fruits, and food in general, they
are guaranteed to last months and years depending on how they are processed. So
stock up on those dried fruits, like groundnut, coconut, pineapple. Dried fish and
meat are also excellent items to invest in.
Cereals and
Snacks: There are bound
to be times during the confinement period when you’ll be too tired to make a
proper meal. Cereals as well as other snacks will come in handy.
Milk (Evaporated
or Condensed): Because
how can you survive the lockdown without enough milk? Invest in your preferred
milk brand and buy up a month or two week’s supply. If you’re a beverage
person, maybe throw in a reasonable quantity of those.
Frozen Foods: should you be considering going down
the frozen food route, ask yourself what the electricity supply is like in your
neighborhood. If it’s poor, maybe defer on frozen foods. However, should you
have a decent supply of electricity as well as alternatives, you may want to
buy some frozen foods like chicken, meat, seafood, fruits, and fries to store.
Drinking Water
Supply: What’s your
trusted supply of drinking water? Is it tap, dispenser, bottled, or sachet?
Whichever is the case, it’s advisable to stock up enough on drinking water. Keep
in mind that you (and, or your household) will be consuming more quantity of
water since you’ll all be on lockdown. Remember to check that the water source
you’re purchasing is in good condition and that its expiry date is at least in
six-month’s time.
Essential
Medication: Should you
or anyone in your household be on constant medication, it’s best to purchase
these drugs in sufficient quantities. Supplies for diabetic, asthmatic etc
patients for instance, should be purchased from a trusted pharmacy well ahead
of time.
Additionally, take
note to stock up on general drugs such as painkillers; Ibuprofen, Panadol etc
and menstrual cramp drugs like Felvin and Diclofenac.
Toilet Paper: Because you’ll be doing some more
toilet business during this period. Stock up on toilet paper sufficient for a
month.
Soap, Hand
Sanitizer, and Cleaning Agents: Remember
that the coronavirus thrives in unclean places. Hand-washing soaps, hand
sanitizers, surface cleaners, detergents, are some essentials to add to your
shopping cart.
Essential
Children Supply: If you
have kids or toddlers, it’s important to stock up on their essentials. Baby
formulas, diapers, baby wipes, creams, oils, toys, are a few examples of items
to consider when shopping for your kids.
Internet
Subscription: Not just
for Netflixing and chilling but sorting out a suitable internet plan will be
quite useful for employees working remotely. You’re more likely to be consuming
more data on video calls, and virtual meetings. Of course, there’s also Netflix
and chill on the times you’ll just want to relax and have some fun.
Light
Subscription: Yes, make
sure you sort out the electricity subscription. You do not want to go about
this lockdown in darkness do you?
Entertainment: This involves taking care of every
subscription concerning entertainment. Cable, Netflix, Amazon, Iroko Tv, and so
on are some examples of entertainment plans you want to conclude on.
Do Not
As much as it’s
advisable to stock up during COVID-19, try as much as possible not to
panic-buy. You might end up with items you do not necessarily need. The best
guide when shopping during this pandemic is really to keep your list to basic
needs and discard purchasing items you do not necessarily need.
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