SUMMARY

The world economy has been crippled by a novel coronavirus disease in the year 2019 (COVID-
19) which also put over 210 countries of the world in the map of epidemiology, our country
Nigeria was not an exception. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on
Nigerian society, and addressing its aftermath requires strategic actions. This seminar paper
contains the introductory meaning of COVID-19, it also lists out the effects of the pandemic in
Nigeria society before the pandemic, during the pandemic and possible aftermath of the
pandemic.

1
Introduction

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has been declared a Public Health Emergency

of International Concern (PHEIC) and the virus has now spread to many countries and territories.

While a lot is still unknown about the virus that causes COVID-19 whether it was truly created

by a Laboratory in Wuhan, China or not, we do know that it is transmitted through direct contact

with respiratory droplets of an infected person (generated through coughing and sneezing)

(Adebimpe et al., 2021). Individuals can also be infected from touching surfaces contaminated

with the virus and touching their face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth). While COVID19 continues to

spread it is important that communities take action to prevent further transmission, reduce the

impacts of the outbreak and support control measures (Osmond et al., 2021). The protection of

children and adult facilities is particularly important. Precautions are necessary to prevent the

potential spread of COVID-19 in health sector; however, care must also be taken to avoid

stigmatizing our citizens and our front health workers who may have been exposed to the virus.

It is important to remember that COVID-19 does not differentiate between borders, ethnicities,

disability status, age or gender or different political parties (Birisibe and Udeme, 2020). Our

health and education sectors should continue to be welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and

supportive environments to all. Measures taken by people can prevent the entry and spread of

COVID-19 by who may have been exposed to the virus, while minimizing disruption and

protecting all citizens from discrimination (Fagbemi, 2021).

2
Plate 1: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Structure

Source: Britannica, 2020.

The NCDC has also provided recommendations individuals who are at high risk of COVID19–

related complications, including older adults and persons who have serious underlying health

conditions (e.g, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease). Such individuals should consider the

following precautions.

i. Stock up on supplies.

ii. Avoid close contact with sick people.

iii. Wash hands often.

iv. Stay home as much as possible in locations where COVID-19 is spreading.

v. Develop a plan in case of illness.

3
Route of Transmission

Transmission is believed to occur via respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing, as with

other respiratory pathogens, including influenza and rhinovirus. Virus released in respiratory

secretions can infect other individuals via direct contact with mucous membranes. Droplets

usually cannot travel more than 6 feet (Kharas and Dooley, 2021).

The virus can also persist on surfaces to varying durations and degrees of infectivity. One study

found that SARS-CoV-2 remained detectable for up to 72 hours on some surfaces despite

decreasing infectivity over time. Notably, the study reported that no viable SARSCoV-2 was

measured after 4 hours on copper or after 24 hours on cardboard (Kharas and Dooley, 2021).

COVID - 19 Outbreak and Pandemic in the Nigerian Society

As of May 4, 2020, COVID-19 has been confirmed in over 3.5 million individuals worldwide

and has resulted in more than 250,000 deaths. More than 180 countries have reported laboratory-

confirmed cases of COVID-19 on all continents except Antarctica (the coldest continent in the

world) (Okokie-Osemene, 2021).

According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health

confirmed the first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Lagos State, Nigeria. The case,

which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to be reported in Nigeria

since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020 (Okokie-Osemene, 2021).

The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos,

Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020. He was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the

Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for

Disease Control. The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being

managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos (United Nations Organization, 2020).

4
The Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Lagos

State, Nigeria. The case, which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to

be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020 (United

Nations Organization, 2020).

Current Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) In The Nigerian Society

It would be hell if the Covid-19 breaks out in Nigeria on the scale presently being witnessed in

Europe and the US. Apart from the state of the healthcare system, 69 million Nigerians have no

access to clean water. This invariably leads to water-borne diseases like cholera, which continue

to break out as regular epidemics. Social distancing and self-isolation presuppose that people

have enough space. In Lagos where we have over 100 slum areas, about 80 people can be found

sharing a 10-room building with only two toilets and a bathroom being shared by all with no

pipe-borne or treated water readily available (Zhema and Adihikon, 2020).

Clearly the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) that started out as an epidemic in Wuhan, China in

December 2019 and ended up as a pandemic (affecting the whole world) has thrown the whole

world into a war-like situation. Scores of thousands of deaths have been recorded cumulatively

for all countries across the world. Health systems in most countries are overwhelmed by the

seriously sick patients in hospitals, many of whom are on ventilators and nursed in intensive care

units (ICU). Global and local economies stand at their worst in decades; the world economy is

now declared to be in recession by the World Bank/IMF, and could eventually lead to the

deepest depression since 1929 (Tade, 2020).

The price of crude oil (the mainstay of the Nigerian economy) tumbled like never before in the

last 20 years. It went to as low as below $20 per barrel from above $60 just before the pandemic.

It has never been this bad in the last two decades and this has made a mess of the Nigerian

5
federal government’s budget estimates for 2020; making salaries payment, debt obligations and

other projections uncertain. This is clearly so because the price of crude oil, which contributes

over 90% of Nigeria’s externally-generated revenue, now hovers around $30 per barrel, which is

far less than the budget’s benchmark of $57 per barrel, and this signifies tough times ahead

(Tade, 2020).

By the early hours of 12 April 2020, the overall statistics of COVID-19 (Coronavirus infections)

and associated deaths remain alarming and fearful. The viral infection continued to gallop; it is

now over the 1.8million mark for all cases in 203 countries and territories across all continents of

the world – Asia, North and South America, Europe, Australasia and Africa. The number of

deaths related to coronavirus is now [at the time of writing] well over 120,000. The statistics are

alarming because the rise to the 1.8 million confirmed cases took less than 4 months (Reuters,

2021).

Unemployment is skyrocketing, while policymakers across countries race to implement fiscal

and monetary measures to alleviate the financial burden on citizens and shore up economies

under severe strain (Nigerian Development Update, 2020).

Different Philanthropists, Banks, Government owned and Private Bodies and Organizations and

individuals from all parts of the country has contributed their best in supporting the government

in the combat against the novel coronavirus (Nigerian Development Update, 2020).

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the global economy was struggling to regain a broad-based

recovery as a result of the lingering impact of growing trade protectionism, trade disputes among

major trading partners, falling commodity and energy prices, and economic uncertainties in

Europe over the impact of the UK withdrawal from the European Union. Individually, each of

these issues presented a solvable challenge for the global economy (Nigerian Development

6
Update, 2020). Collectively, however, the issues weakened the global economy and reduced the

available policy flexibility of many national leaders, especially among the leading developed

economies. In this environment, COVID-19 could have an outsized impact (Lone and Ahmad,

2020). While the level of economic effects will eventually become clearer, the response to the

pandemic could have a significant and enduring impact on the way businesses organize their

work forces, global supply chains, and how governments respond to a global health crisis (Lone

and Ahmad, 2020).

Possible Outcomes of Covid – 19 To Nigeria

With over 1.39 million coronavirus cases and 79,382 deaths globally as at April 7th, the world

continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the outbreak, the outlook for the world

economy and especially developing countries like Nigeria was fragile, as global GDP growth

was estimated to be only 2.5 percent in 2020. While many developing countries have recorded

relatively fewer cases. Nigeria currently has 6,401 confirmed cases and 192 deaths (May 19th

NCDC record) as of this writing the weak capacity of health care systems in these countries is

likely to exacerbate the pandemic and its impact on their economies (National Bureau of

Statistics, 2021).

Business activities have been disrupted globally as Covid-19 pandemic intensify. World-Wide

conferences, legal gatherings, sporting events, political rallies, economic transactions, have all

been affected by the outbreak. Economically, the global supply chain substantially relies on

production from China. The disruption in China thus affects almost all economies and markets.

As a result, American, European and African markets have been on a bearish run. While the

World actively pursues a vaccine to combat the pandemic, the pandemic has been of dilapidating

effect on the Nigerian economy (National Bureau of Statistics, 2021).

7
Many universities set up emergency response teams to prepare for the unexpected. The

emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the limits of these efforts. Although

universities were at the forefront of some of the most proactive responses to the virus, quick to

empty dorms and move classes online. The process is very challenging, and many are still

scrambling. Coping with COVID-19 is particularly complicated for universities, because they

serve such a wide variety of functions (Odili, 2020). Despite the fact Academic Staff Union of

Universities (ASUU) is on industrial action, many State and Federal Universities, Polytechnic

and Colleges of education across Nigeria are embracing E-learning (Odili, 2020).

The aftermath of COVID-19 in the Nigerian Economy (the curbing of Economy Downturn)

Before the pandemic, the Nigerian government had been grappling with weak recovery from the

2014 oil price shock, with GDP growth tapering around 2.3 percent in 2019 (Oyedeji, 2021). In

February, the IMF revised the 2020 GDP growth rate from 2.5 percent to 2 percent, as a result of

relatively low oil prices and limited fiscal space. Relatedly, the country’s debt profile has been a

source of concern for policymakers and development practitioners as the most recent estimate

puts the debt service-to-revenue ratio at 60 percent, which is likely to worsen amid the steep

decline in revenue associated with falling oil prices (Reliefweb, 2021). These constraining

factors will aggravate the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and make it more difficult

for the government to weather the crisis. Aggregate demand will fall, but government

expenditure will rise (Oyedeji, 2021).

In Nigeria, efforts were already being made to bolster aggregate demand through increased

government spending and tax cuts for businesses (Okokie-Osemene, 2021). The public budget

increased from 8.83 trillion naira ($24.53 billion) in 2019 to 10.59 trillion naira ($29.42 billion)

in 2020, representing 11 percent of the national GDP, while small businesses have been

8
exempted from company income tax, and the tax rate for medium-sized businesses has been

revised downwards from 30 to 20 percent. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis is causing all

components of aggregate demand, except for government purchases, to fall (Okokie-Osemene,

2021).

The fall in household consumption in Nigeria will stem from

i. Partial (or full) restrictions on movement, thus causing consumers to spend primarily on

essential goods and services.

ii. Low expectations of future income, particularly by workers in the gig economy that are

engaged on a short-term/contract basis, as well as the working poor in the informal

economy (Oyedeji, 2021).

iii. The erosion of wealth and expected wealth as a result of the decline in assets such as

stocks and home equity. The federal government has imposed a lockdown in Lagos and

Ogun states as well as Abuja (which have the highest number of coronavirus cases

combined) (Oyedeji, 2021).

What other policy responses can be implemented?

Given the size and scope of the economic impact of the pandemic, there is the need to implement

other recovery strategies to stimulate demand. Thus, we recommend the following fiscal and

monetary policy measures:

i. Although there is a cash transfer program in place, the federal government should

improve efforts towards enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the distributive

mechanisms to reach households that are worst-hit by the pandemic (Statista, 2021).

ii. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as well as State Inland Revenue Services

(SIRS) should waive payments on personal and corporate income tax for the second

9
 quarter of 2020, considering that the shock has affected the income and profits of

households and businesses.

iii. The CBN’s decision to increase the cash reserve ratio (CRR) from 22.5 percent to 27.5

percent in January 2020 should be revisited to provide liquidity for banks so that banks

can, in turn, create credit to the private sector.

iv. To provide additional liquidity in the forex market, the CBN should establish a swap

facility with the U.S. Federal Reserve and/or the People’s Bank of China, as was done in

2018, to provide dollar and yen liquidity to financial institutions, investors, and exporters.

This move would ease up forex shortage in the financial market and economy (Statista,

2021).

10
Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call to policymakers as the unusual and unprecedented

nature of the crisis has made it impossible for citizens to rely on foreign health care services and

more difficult to solicit for international support given the competing demand for medical

supplies and equipment. A more integrated response spanning several sectors including the

health, finance, and trade sectors is required to address structural issues that make the country

less resilient to shocks and limit its range of policy responses. In the long term, tougher decisions

need to be made, including but not limited to diversifying the country’s revenue base away from

oil exports, agriculture and improving investments in the health care sector in ensuring that the

economy is able to recover quickly from difficult conditions in the future.

It is important to remember that COVID-19 does not differentiate between borders, ethnicities,

disability status, age or gender or different political parties. Our health and education sectors

should continue to be welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive environments to all.

Recommendations

i. Invest in the healthcare system by increasing funding, improving infrastructure, and

expanding access to medical facilities.

ii. Implement measures to revive and diversify the economy. This can include promoting

entrepreneurship, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, attracting foreign

investment, and developing sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.

iii. Establish or enhance social safety net programs to provide support to vulnerable

populations, such as the unemployed, low-income earners, and informal sector workers.

iv. Prioritize investment in education and skills development to bridge the learning gaps

exacerbated by the pandemic.

11
 REFERENCES
Adebimpe, O. I., Adetunji, A. T., Nwachukwu, C. & Hieu, V. M. (2021). “COVID-19 Pandemic
Challenges: The Youth Unemployment in Nigeria” Journal of Contemporary Issues in
Business and Government.
Birisibe, P. & Udeme, N. (2020). “An appraisal of select Nigerian online newspaper coverage of
COVID-19 in Nigeria” Social Science Review 1(1): 233-243.
Fagbemi, F. (2021). COVID-19 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): An appraisal of the
emanating effects in Nigeria [Link] on December 25, 2021.
Kharas, H. & Dooley, M. (2021). Extreme Poverty in the Time of COVID-19 Being a Virtual
Inter-agency Expert Group Meeting on the Implementation of the Third United
Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018-2027) Held in May 24-27.
Lone, S. A. & Ahmad, A. (2020). “COVID-19 pandemic-An African perspective” Emerging
Microbes and Infections Vol. 9: 1300-1307.
National Bureau of Statistics (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on business enterprises in
Nigeria: United Nations Development Programs [Link] on August 19,
2021.
Nigerian Development Update (2020). Rising to the challenge: Nigeria’s COVID response
[Link] on August 19, 2021.
Odili, Okwuchukwu (2020). “Agricultural Financing and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: Policy
Implications” Social Science Review 1(1): 209-223.
Okokie-Osemene, J. (2021). Nigeria’s Security Governance Dilemmas During the COVID-19
Crises Pp260-277 Published online on [Link] in
July 8, 2021.
Osmond, C. E., Obinna, V.N., Iweha, C., Ekwebelem, N.C., Obi, B.C. & Sani, E.U. (2021).
“Threats of COVID-19 to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
in Africa” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 104(2):457-460.
Oyedeji, O. (2021). As Nigeria Unveils National Development Plan 2021-2025
[Link] on January 12, 2022.
Reliefweb (2021). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People Living in Poverty in
Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved from [Link] in November 9, 2021
Reuters (2021). As COVID-19 fuels youth unemployment, Nigeria doles out jobs. Retrieved
from [Link] on January 26, 2021.
Statista (2021). Nigeria unemployment rate 2020 Retrieved from [Link] in
June 7, 2021.

12
Tade, O. (2020). “COVID-19 and Crime Landscape in Africa” International Journal of Offender
Therapy and Comparative (Special Issue Editor). Retrieved from
[Link] July 8, 2021
United Nations Organization (2020). The COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: Impact on Crime,
Security and the Rule of Law Brief. Retrieved from [Link] in June 15,
2020.
Zhema, S. & Adihikon, T.A. (2020). “Youth unemployment in Nigeria: Implications for national
security and development” Interdisciplinary Journal of African and Asian Studies 6(2):
55-66.

13