COVID-19 RESPONSE STRATEGIES AND INCREASED POVERTY RATES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA

A REVIEW

Abstract

The study title “covid-19 response strategies and increased poverty rate in Nigeria: A review” was undertaken to determinethe effect of strategies adopted by the government to cushion the spread of covid-19 pandemic on the people. Specifically, the study sought to ascertain the effect of the federal government covid 19 intervention measures such as lock down, social distancing on poverty rate occasioned by the outbreak of covid-19 in Nigeria and to investigate the contribution of the federal government intervention funds on the economic revival of the needy following the outbreak of the of covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Social contract theory propounded by Hobbes (1651) in Nnoli (2003) was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Secondary sources of data were used to collect relevant data for the study. The outcome of the study amongst other thing revealed that that Covi-19 response strategies adopted by the federal government such as the distribution of government palliative, social distancing, lock down etc amongst others did not achieved much because most of the target beneficiaries were not reached due to politicization and corrupt practices that characterized the distribution. Again, some of the response strategies of the federal government like lock down added to the already existing sufferings of the masses and as well increased the already existing poverty rates. It was recommended that further response to pandemic or other health challenges in the country should be well planned to prevent further exposure of Nigerians to sufferings in the midst of National emergency. To achieve this, there should be in place a data bank to give accurate records of the number of people that a given attention is targeted.