AN OVERVIEW OF POLICY RESPONSES TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic brought to the fore issues regarding government responses to
societal challenges in nearly all countries of the world. Nigeria, like other countries, responded with a
series of policies to the pandemic. While some of them were designed to contain its spread, others
were geared at addressing the contradictions it spawned for the living conditions of the citizens and
the economy. This study probed the policy responses to the coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-
19 pandemic and their effects in Nigeria. It relied on primary and secondary data elicited from official
statements and publications, textbooks, journals, newspapers and internet resources. The results
showed that the responses reflected in the proactive and reactive policies of the government. While the
proactive policies were designed to curb the spread of the pandemic such as the closure of borders,
places of worship, schools and markets, the ban of the inter-state travels, international and domestic
flights and social gathering among others, the reactive policies were designed to mitigate the
devastating effects of the pandemic. They included a series of economic stimulus and palliative
measures for the vulnerable. The study identified weak state capacity and distorted pattern of
governance as some of the factors that undermined the effectiveness of the policy responses. It,
therefore, recommended among other things, improved technological infrastructure, investment in
the health sector and the building of trust between the government and the citizens as some of the
requisite coping strategies in the new normal.