Original Research - Special Collection: COVID-19 Pandemic Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis of lockdowns in Nigeria: The household food security perspective

Lere Amusan, Samuel C. Agunyai
Africa’s Public Service Delivery & Performance Review | Vol 9, No 1 | a484 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/apsdpr.v9i1.484 | © 2021 Lere Amusan, Samuel C. Agunyai | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 14 August 2020 | Published: 31 May 2021

About the author(s)

Lere Amusan, Department of Political Studies and International Relations, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa
Samuel C. Agunyai, Department of Political Studies and International Relations, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Mafikeng, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: This article argues that the lockdown policy of the Nigerian government, even though had proven to be effective in the control of the spread of the virus, adversely triggers household crises. These crises range from hunger, gender violence, shortage of food, low purchasing power and negative coping strategies. While intellectual resources have been remarkably outspoken about the effect of lockdown on Nigeria’s economy, the implications of the lockdown for household food security crisis have drawn little or no academic attention.

Aim: Given this, the article examines the influence of the lockdown on households’ hunger and coping mechanisms. It further examines the nexus between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and households’ low purchasing power.

Setting: This is with the view to advance adequate strategy for minimising the effects of lockdown on food (in)security in Nigeria.

Method: The article utilized a qualitative, descriptive research method. The article, is theoretical in nature, and drew its arguments from secondary sources, such as journals, books, newspapers, Internet sources, and official documents.

Results: The finding indicates that the lockdown stimulates not only households’ hunger and negative coping habits but also low purchasing power.

Conclusion: The article concludes that equitable and transparent distribution of palliatives is a good strategy capable of addressing households’ food (in)security crisis during Covid-19 lockdown in Nigeria.


Keywords

COVID-19; Nigeria; household food; human insecurity; lockdown; pandemic.

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Crossref Citations

1. Do COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Influence Existing Inequalities between Women and Men in Africa?
Heather VanVolkenburg, Isabelle Vandeplas, Katim Touré, Safiétou Sanfo, Fatoumata Lamarana Baldé, Liette Vasseur
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health  vol: 19  issue: 4  first page: 2065  year: 2022  
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042065