Sponsored by OldMutual Nigeria.

Going… going… gone!

The 2- week COVID-19 lockdown is definitely the first of its kind, in Nigeria, starting off in Lagos state, Ogun state, and FCT, Abuja, with the potential of being adopted by other states in the country. As instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians living in the affected states must remain confined to their homes, ceasing all forms of movement, and any travels. Also, offices within these affected states, must be closed till further notice, barring a select number of establishments.

Of course, the two-week “sentence” will have all residents cooped up in their own space, with very limited interactions. To make up for the imposed social distancing, Nigerians have begun to spend more time online, advertising their businesses; meeting office targets; banking on the internet; shopping and transacting online; keeping up with news and important updates; watching movies; playing online games, and socialising on social media by sending and receiving messages, following trends, participating in challenges, meeting new people, and creating content, all in a bid to bridge the gap with their loved ones who are now out of physical reach.

An increased online presence would mean higher data usage, and the last thing you want is to more than triple your usual data budget in the next few weeks without steady influx of income. Here are a few tips on how to manage your data consumption and maximize online activity:

Review Your Settings: Most social media applications allow users to switch to “Low Data Usage” while in use. These app settings filter content to suit the users unique preferences, and still minimise the data burn.

Phone settings also give users the opportunity to switch to “Low Data Mode”. In this setting, all updates, upgrades and background data usage, are subject to users authorization. These are a good way to get quality content for less!

Regulate Your Online Activity: Give your eyes a breather and reduce your data costs by creating an online schedule for yourself.

Make a list of things you would like to achieve, daily, and constrain yourself to a strict timelimit for online activity. This will help you be more productive in a shorter time, and will cut off unnecessary distractions, considerably!

Change Your Data Bundle Plan: Yes, you heard me!

No matter what network provider you patronise, there is always that super affordable data bundle plan that gives you a normal data plan plus unlimited night browsing. If you’re willing to stay up at night, invest in one of these plans, and push your data intensive activities like Content Creation, Working from Home, etc., to nighttime. Been there, done that!

Partner on Unlimited Data Bundle: You’re all stuck at home, so you might as well!

If you are on lockdown with a housemate or family, a smart plan is to contribute towards buying unlimited monthly plans. This saves everyone A LOT of money. All network providers have Unlimited Day and Night monthly data bundles for users. Save yourself a ton of money and enjoy seamless browsing, with your family!

Create Offline Activity: Our devices can get us so engrossed that we spend little time with our immediate company, and little time being productive offline.

Make a point to have daily activity, offline. Bond with family, do your laundry, play chess, disinfect surfaces, wash your hands, read a book, work out, and let the online world feel your absence for a bit!

The world is going digital, and now, more than ever, these tips will keep you online but also in touch, much longer.