Connectivity Resilience Amidst COVID-19

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity – indeed, words that capture the stark reality of these times globally. The rapid spread of the pandemic COVID-19 to over one million confirmed cases and tens of thousands of lives lost across 212 countries, (WHO,  April 2020), has impacted every aspect of our society, families, education, ways of work, public gatherings and individual daily routines.

The world, including business communities, are in the process of re-defining a new and unprecedented normal where change is exceedingly rapid, old patterns are being upended overnight and social media is flooded with information both genuine and unverified throughout the communication networks. Within this context, many countries and organizations are struggling to define how to operate, how drastic emergency responses should be, and if protecting economic damage while saving lives via national lockdowns can be achieved simultaneously. There is an imperative to respond, recover and eventually thrive again.

Deloitte interviewed Funke Opeke, a Telecommunications Leader, CEO of Main One Cable Company Nigeria Limited and most recently the Chairperson of the Presidential Committee for the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, to share an industry perspective on best practice in maintaining connectivity amidst the VUCA environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Excerpts from the discussion are captured in this article and provide insights into the necessary steps connectivity leaders must take to ensure resiliency in their operations across people, process and technology domains.