The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Samson Ayokunle, says though Africa lacks standard healthcare facilities and the technological wherewithal to fight the coronavirus pandemic, yet the continent continues to enjoy God’s mercy as evident in the low Covid infections and associated deaths recorded in Nigeria and other African countries.

Ayokunle was reacting to a statement made by American business magnate, Bill Gates, who said he was yet to understand why Covid cases and fatalities still remain low in Africa.

The billionaire philanthropist had in his 2020 Year In Review Notes titled, ‘These breakthroughs will make 2021 better than 2020’, said, “One thing I’m happy to have been wrong about—at least, I hope I was wrong—is my fear that COVID-19 would run rampant in low-income countries.

“So far, this hasn’t been true. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, case rates and death rates remain much lower than in the US or Europe and on par with New Zealand, which has received so much attention for its handling of the virus.  The hardest-hit country on the continent is South Africa—but even there, the case rate is 40 per cent lower than in the US, and the death rate is nearly 50 per cent lower.

“We don’t have enough data yet to understand why the numbers aren’t as high as I worried they would get.”

Reacting in his 2021 New Year Message on Thursday, the CAN president said the mercy of God made the difference in Africa and in Nigeria.

Ayokunle, in the message titled, ‘Dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High: Key to Overcoming Challenges throughout the Year’, said dwelling in the secret place of God saved Africa.

He said, “I was reading in the newspaper the statement of Bill Gates who said that he could not explain why COVID-19 mortality was low in Africa generally where healthcare was poorer than the Developed World. The right answer is that dwelling in the secret place of the Most High saved Africa.

“We are technologically poor but we believe we have a big and great God whom we can trust, whom we can run to His secret place and abide under His shadow. The mercy of God made the difference in Africa, especially Nigeria where health experts predicted that 30 million people would die.”

The CAN president further noted, “I am not saying that the advanced nations of the world do not believe in God but that our own lack of human strength, lack of health infrastructure (though not our pride), have made us to trust in God more than human science and technology. The mercy of God has preserved us and will continue to preserve us all the days of our lives in the name of Jesus Christ.

Ayokunle also urged the Nigerian authorities to restore security and bring about peace and prosperity for Nigerians to enjoy the Year 2021.