The Political Economy of Coronavirus

Take Away

The global pandemic is certainly raising important fundamental questions regarding crisis preparedness and what really development means for countries,especially on the African continent, moving forward.

This pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of global healthcare systems to the world and more so for many Africans who may have thought the so-called first-world countries are infallible.

A key take away for me is that this pandemic calls into question what African states should prioritize during policy making and governance. Mega Infrastructure projects certainly should not be more important than having good healthcare systems and food security.

Another thing worth noting is that moving forward the countries of the world need to rethink on the global supply chain more so the production and distribution of essential goods and services like food, medical products and services in an attempt to secure the critical infrastructure in times of catastrophes like ones of this magnitude.

We are going to see a fundamental rise of the politics of nationalism with regard to domestic self-sufficiency.

Foreign relations are certainly going to be affected more so between China and the United States and widely with NATO amid suspicions of China’s lack of transparency during the onset of this pandemic.

If it is found that the origin and spread of this virus was deliberate on the part of the Chinese, I foresee the possibility of economic conflict and even war between NATO allies and the People’s Republic.

That said, I hope it is not the case as Africans might be caught up in the crossfire should conflict ensue. However, issues of illegal wildlife trade in relation to Chinese wet markets are likely to confront the nations of Africa.

Conclusion

One thing for sure is that things will never be the same post Covid-19 in all fronts: economically, politically, and socially in the world order.