IMPACTS OF COVID 19 ON THE FOOD SYSTEM AND POVERTY IN NIGERIA
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IMPACTS OF COVID 19 ON THE FOOD SYSTEM AND POVERTY IN NIGERIA
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background for the Study
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences on global economies, cultures, and a variety of sectors, including the food system and poverty in Nigeria.
As the virus spread fast over the world, Nigeria, like many other countries, experienced extraordinary hurdles that impacted its food supply chain, agricultural output, and general economic stability.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the pandemic’s diverse effects on Nigeria’s food system and poverty, shedding insight on the complex dynamics that have evolved as a result of this worldwide calamity.
Even before the pandemic, the Nigerian economy was dealing with a number of socioeconomic challenges, including high rates of poverty and unemployment. The sudden appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these existing vulnerabilities.
The first occurrence of the pandemic in Nigeria was officially recorded on February 28, 2020 (NCDC, 2020). In response, the Nigerian government implemented stringent measures, such as travel bans and statewide lockdowns, to halt the virus’s spread.
While necessary for public health, these moves had significant consequences for both food systems and poverty dynamics across the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a quick impact on Nigeria’s food system, causing supply chain disruptions, manpower shortages, and mobility limits (Aday & Aday, 2020).
Lockdowns and travel restrictions hindered the movement of agricultural products and labour, limiting farmers’ access to markets and consumers’ access to food (Adnam, 2020).
As a result, concerns about food availability and price grew, especially among disadvantaged communities already experiencing food insecurity (Eyinla et al., 2021).
These disruptions exacerbated the instability of the current food distribution network, resulting in price increases and reduced access to vital commodities (Nnodim, 2020).
The pandemic’s impact extended to worldwide remittances, which are a crucial source of income for many Nigerian households (World Bank, 2020).
The closure of international borders and economic downturns in countries with large Nigerian migrant populations resulted in a significant fall in remittances (Kuhlcke & Bester, 2020).
This remittance drop had a direct impact on household wages, increasing vulnerability and pushing individuals into poverty (World Bank, 2020).
Simultaneously, the lockdowns and mobility restrictions enforced to contain the virus’s spread had a substantial impact on employment and livelihoods, particularly in the informal sector.
The lockdowns restricted economic activity, resulting in employment losses, reduced incomes, and firm closures (World Bank, 2020). These actions disproportionately affected Nigeria’s informal sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the economy.
This economic crisis had a domino effect on poverty rates, causing an increasing number of people to find themselves in precarious situations (Mahler et al., 2020).
The informal sector’s condition was exacerbated by its natural susceptibility to upheaval. It covers a wide range of occupations, including street vending and subsistence farming, which are particularly vulnerable to economic volatility (Abubakar & Magaji, 2019; Sennuga, 2019).
The COVID-19 regulations hampered these activities, restricting income production and hurting the livelihoods of individuals who rely on the sector for a living (Abdul, 2020). As a result, the weaker situation of the informal sector directly contributed to the spread of poverty in Nigeria (World Bank, 2020).
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