PALLIATIVE MEASURES IN MITIGATING THE MULTIPLIER EFFECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN ON THE VULNERABLE GROUPS IN A DEBILITATING ECONOMY – AN INSIGHT ON KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was undertaken with the sole aim of bringing to limelight the various palliative measures embarked upon in Nigeria but specifically in Kwara State to cushion the multiplier effects and hardship on the vulnerable members of the society in a debilitating economy during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic imposed lockdown. The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus also known as Covid-19 broke out late 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China with a population of 11 million inhabitants. It is described as a novel contagious infectious disease that spread at an alarming and frightening rate although with 3% to 5% mortality rate across the globe. Due to the high level of transmissibility across all age groups, it was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in January 2020. With the declaration of the virus as a pandemic came the need and urgency for a total lockdown of all sectors of socio-economic activities in all the affected countries all over the world. The Covid-19 imposed lockdown led to the closure of businesses, commercial and economic hubs, schools, public gatherings with restrictions of movements from the local travels up to international levels. The action as expected resulted in no small measures to untold hardships and also had several other multiplier effects on the low income class, daily income earners and the vulnerable groups in the society. Coincidentally these groups of people are the majority in developing countries like Nigeria. It was therefore based on the foregoing that this study was carried out to examine the various palliative measures embarked upon in Nigeria with emphasis on Kwara State and also measure their impacts during the period of the Covid-19 imposed lockdown in order to cushion its effects on the vulnerable members of the society in a debilitating economy.