By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating in the United States, but what’s happening in the rest of the world? Advocate Editor-In-Chief Morgan Taylor spoke with international student from Nigeria and incoming Tufts University freshman Ayomikun Adeyanju to discuss her experience.

Morgan Taylor: What is your country doing to prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Ayomikun Adeyanju: We are under a lockdown however the government plans to end it this Friday because my country cannot afford to continue it. Most Nigerians work to eat so that has been a huge challenge. People plan to riot if it goes on so the government is “slowly” reopening the economy. Everything is shut and only essential businesses are open however it seems that the police aren’t really enforcing the lockdown effectively cuz there’s still a lot of human traffic on the streets.

MT: What does a normal day look like for you before this pandemic?

AA: I’m on a gap year so a normal day would involve staying at home if I don’t have an activity scheduled for that day. My mum would go to work in the morning and come back at night. My dad goes and comes as he pleases (he’s an entrepreneur so he is very much in control of his time). My brother has lessons till late in the evening.

MT: What has been the biggest change for you personally?

AA: My Aunty lives with us and she recently had a major medical issue which involved her going to the hospital. To be honest our health sector is absolute garbage. My dad had to go from hospital to hospital looking for somewhere that would admit her. And even when she was miraculously admitted into a hospital (there was an interminable line of patients waiting for one bed to be available) he had to buy every drug from someplace else. They would call him for every need of hers cuz they didn’t have any medical supplies. So apart from paying for their services, he’s paying for drugs, food, physiotherapy and additional things. She’s back home now but we were notified that someone in her ward had coronavirus so my dad has to self-isolate from us. That’s been the biggest change for me.

MT: What are your thoughts about how this could potentially impact your college experience?

AA: Well, I’m privileged to even be able to get a good education from the U.S. so I’m not too bothered if it is delayed somewhat. It’s a part of my personal college experience so I embrace that.

MT: What made you choose a college in the U.S.?

AA: Schooling here was not an option for my parents. Education system here is in shambles and higher ed here is absolute garbage. No infrastructure, terrible environment….so many scandals so my parents are literally sacrificing a lot to secure me the best education they can and I’m so grateful! Hopefully I get the degree and come back here to fix some stuff.