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Social Work in Public Health 
Volume 35, 2020 - Issue 7: COVID-19: Social Work’s Response to the Global Pandemic

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Research Article

Effect of Covid-19 on Nigerian Socio-

economic Well-being, Health Sector
Pandemic Preparedness and the Role of
Nigerian Social Workers in the War Against
Covid-19
Henry Ajibo 
Pages 511-522 | Published online: 24 Sep 2020

 Download citation  https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2020.1806168

ABSTRACT

Covid-19 is a virus that has created tension and devastation around the globe.
This study is designed to specifically find out the effect of Covid-19 on the
socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians, the health sector preparedness to handle
the pandemic, and the role of Nigerian social workers in the fight against Covid-
19 in Nigeria. The study employed a phenomenological and exploratory research
design in its inquiry. Sixteen respondents made up the sample size for the study.
design in its inquiry. Sixteen respondents made up the sample size for the study.
A Focus Group Discussion Guide and an In-Depth Interview Guide were the
instruments for data collection. The result of the study shows that the Covid-19
pandemic has had a devastating impact on the socioeconomic well-being of
Nigerians. Second, the Nigerian health system is ill equipped and underprepared
to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Third, Nigerian social workers, most especially
medical social workers, have played a significant role in passing out information
on Covid-19 preventive measures to the general public. The study recommends
that the Nigerian government should wake up and fix the health sector and make
it proactive to handle epidemics/pandemics in the future. Social work practice in
Nigeria should be promoted by the government through institutionalization of the
profession.

 KEYWORDS : Covid-19 effect well-being health sector preparedness social work

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Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread

from person to person. The virus that causes Covid-19 is a novel coronavirus
that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China
(CDC, 2020a). Similarly, many health experts believe that the new strain of
coronavirus likely originated in bats or pangolins. The first transmission to
humans was in Wuhan, China, among people linked to a local seafood market
(“wet market”). Most of the early cases had some sort of contact history with the
original seafood market (Li et al., 2020). Since then, the virus has mostly spread
through person-to-person contact (Aaron, 2020). Currently, there is no vaccine
for the virus, and recovery depends on the strength of the immune system
(Boseley, Devlin, & Belam, 2020). Symptoms of Covid-19 infection include: fever,
dry cough, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, muscle aches, headache,
sore throat, or diarrhea, runny nose, tiredness (CDC, 2020b; Foundation for
Medical Education and Research [MFMER] 2020). The incubation period lasts up
to 14 days (Gallagher, 2020), and the symptoms may appear 2–14 days after
exposure (Minnesota Department of Health, 2020).

Most people infected with the Covid-19 virus will experience mild to moderate
respiratory illness and will recover without requiring special treatment. However,
the disease can be serious and even fatal. Older people, and those with
underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic
respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness (WHO,
2020a). There are also preventive measures for the coronavirus that include
washing of hands; using alcohol-based sanitizer frequently; maintaining social
distance of not less than 2 meters; using face masks; avoiding facial contact
with an infected person; not touching your face; coughing into your elbow;
staying at home if you can; seeking medical care early when you notice fever,
cough, and difficulty breathing; throwing used tissues in the trash; cleaning and
disinfecting frequently touched surfaces; staying informed; and following advice
given by a health-care provider, (CDC, 2020c; WHO, 2020b).

Coronavirus infection and death is on the increase around the globe. At the time
of this report, at least 4,217,348 coronavirus infections have been confirmed

globally, including 284,732 deaths and 1,506,368 people in recovery in 212

countries and territories (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
[ECDC], 2020; Worldometer, 2020). The most severely affected countries outside
of China—the country of coronavirus origin (82,918 cases)—include the United
States (1,367,963 cases), Spain (264,663 cases), Russia (221,344 cases), the
United Kingdom (219,183 cases), Italy (219,070 cases), France (176,970), and
Germany (171,879 cases) (Statista, 2020). The United States has recorded the
highest number of deaths (79,528) from the corona virus, followed by the United
Kingdom (31,930) and Italy (30,560) (Al Jazira, 2020). The U.S. medical system
is currently overwhelmed by the rise in cases of coronavirus (Wen, 2020). Many
events and activities around the globe have either being disrupted or postponed
as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic
games has been postponed to 2021 as a result of the pandemic—there has been
a lot of mixed feelings among lovers of sports, but “safety first” has informed the
postponement of the games and other interesting activities around the globe.

Africa has not been left out of the impact of the Corona virus pandemic; there
has been a rapid rise in the number of cases on the continent. There are now
more than 60,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across Africa and growing
warnings that the pandemic will cause major challenges for the continent’s
underresourced health services (Burke, 2020). Similarly, predictions are showing
that given the fact that almost all of Africa’s 54 countries are reporting cases of
Covid-19, it will have drastic consequences in Africa, especially in the many
countries that still have a poor public health infrastructure and inadequate social
welfare system (Signé & Gurib-Fakim, 2020). Specifically, at the time of this
study, Africa has recorded 63,293 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection,
2,290 deaths, and 21,837 recoveries. Furthermore, South Africa has the highest
rate of coronavirus infection in Africa, with about 10,015 cases, followed by
Egypt (9,400 cases), Morocco (6,063 cases), Algeria (5,723), Nigeria (4,399), and
Ghana (4,263 cases) (Rahman & Shaban, 2020).

Nigeria has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The index case

of coronavirus started in Nigeria when an Italian national working in Lagos flew

into the commercial city of Lagos from Milan, Italy, on February, 25, 2020
(Nigeria Center for Disease Control [NCDC], 2020a). At the time of this research,
Nigeria has reported 4,399 cases of coronavirus, 143 deaths, and 778 recoveries
(NCDC, 2020b; Worldometer, 2020). The Nigerian government has been making
a great effort to stop the further spread of coronavirus within the country. Such
efforts include a ban on social gatherings (there are mechanisms to arrest and
punish those who defy this); a shutdown of Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun states, which
are regarded as the epicenter for the coronavirus pandemic; and other preventive
measures such as an increase in screening at border entry points, self-isolation,
social distancing of not less than 2 meters, use of hand sanitizer, and washing of
hands frequently, all of which have been emphasized and publicized through
formal and informal media outlets (Adnan, 2020; Obiezu, 2020; Olurounbi & Bala-
Gbogbo, 2020). Based on this, the present study was designed to find out the
effect of Covid-19 on the socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians, the health
sector preparedness, and the role of Nigerian social workers in the fight against
Covid-19.

Materials and Method

The study adopted a phenomenological and exploratory research design. The

study was conducted in Nigeria, a country in West Africa and one of the
countries that has been affected adversely by the Covid-19 pandemic. At the
time of the study, Nigeria had recorded 2,170 confirmed cases of the virus, 351
recoveries, and 68 deaths.

Covid-19 has changed and affected the way research is carried out on the
African continent and in Nigeria in particular. Instead of the traditional face-to-
face interview, the researcher engaged some of the respondents through phone
interviews to maintain social distancing and to avoid Covid-19 infection. Some

other scholars have also adopted the use of social media and e-mails for
distribution of their questionnaires or as a means of eliciting primary data from
respondents.

The respondents for this study comprise three health workers (one nurse, one
doctor, and one medical director). The doctor and nurse were working at the
University of Nigeria Nsukka medical center. The medical director works at St.
Mary’s Hospital in Enugu. The respondents also include three practicing social
workers (two medical social workers and one social work tutor). One of the
medical social workers works at the National Obstetric Fistula Center in
Abakaliki, Eboyi State. The other medical social worker works at the University of
Nigeria teaching hospital in Ituku-Ozala. The social work tutor works at the
Nigeria teaching hospital in Ituku-Ozala. The social work tutor works at the
Federal School of Social Work in Emene. Other respondents for the study were
categorized as normal citizens aged 18 years and above.

The sample size for the study was 16, comprising eight participants in a focus
group discussion (FGD), two normal citizens in an in-depth discussion (IDI), and
three medical workers and three social workers in an IDI. The instrument for data
collection was an IDI guide and FGD. The sampling procedure for the study was
purposive and availability sampling.

The method of data analysis was qualitative. The IDI and FGD audio records
were transcribed and categorized into themes to make sense. Ethical
consideration was obtained in carrying out this study. Informed consent was
obtained from the respondents before engaging them.

Results

Effects of Covid-19 on the Socioeconomic Well-Being of Nigerians

The Covid-19 pandemic is ravaging the whole world. It has created panic around
the globe; this article tries to view how it has affected Nigerians in particular.
This section explores the socioeconomic effects of this coronavirus on
Nigerians. Participants in the FGD were of the view that as a result of the Covid-
19 pandemic the Nigerian economy and transportation or movement of people
has all been shut down. Emphasis was also given to the fact that the shutdown
of every activity will make it very difficult for some sections of the Nigerian
population to survive. These sections of the population are those who depend on
daily activities for survival. In one participant’s words:

From what we are seeing so far, the shutdown of the economy,

transportation, movement of people is making things very hard for
people. This is necessary for preventing this virus from spreading. For
Nigeria “Stay at home is a mistake” (are you getting me) because not
 Nigeria “Stay at home is a mistake” (are you getting me) because not
everyone is a civil servant or public servant that will receive their
salary at the end of the month. Some earn their daily living by going to
the park and the market. This shutdown has crippled those who
depend on daily work for survival. (Participant 1, FGD)

The youths in the FGD were of the view that the social and religious life of
Nigerians has been disrupted adversely. For instance, people can no longer hold
weddings; the ones that have been scheduled have been canceled, and churches
and mosque can no longer be held:

For me, this pandemic is a big problem for our environment. Our
social life has been affected. Because of the virus those who want to
do wedding or traditional wedding cannot do it because of social
distancing; if people cluster in wedding the virus will be spreading.
This has become a very big problem for our environment. Churches
have been shut down because of social distancing law. People such
as Muslims, Christians, African traditional practitioners are not free to
worship. (Participant 2, FGD)

Another participant in the FGD was of the view that the coronavirus pandemic
will lead to a high rate of unemployment and crime and a hike in prices of

commodities, most especially personal protective equipment:

There are people who had job but has lost their job because of the
shutdown. This will create high rate of unemployment in the country.
This shutdown has created opportunities for fraud. People are
defrauding other people: A packet of chloroquine which is sold 3,000
naira before is now sold for 15,000 naira. Nose mask that was sold
for 50 naira before is now sold for 1,200 naira. People are taking
advantage of the pandemic to increase the price of goods. Schools
were shut down and students did not have the money for
transportation because the transportation company hiked the price.
Price of goods in the market has increased, people are taking
 Price of goods in the market has increased, people are taking
advantage of the situation. It is paining and affecting everybody.
(Participant 3, FGD)

A youth in the FGD indicated that the Nigerian entertainment industry has been
adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Those affected include
comedians, musicians, sportsmen, and fans:

Our comedians have postponed their shows, sports have been shut
down, nothing to give us joy again. Our music production is affected.
There is no joy, everything has been shut down because of this
coronavirus… . The youths are idle; soon they will take to crime.
(Participant 4, FGD)

The youths in the FGD were of the view that Covid-19 has affected school
activities adversely. In the words of an FGD participant: “Even next month
pharmaceutical student induction has been postponed indefinitely” (Participant
4, FGD). A final-year student in the FGD indicated that he has become too lazy to
read his books and would rather drink beer because of the shutdown of school:

The school system was shut down, by now I would have known the
extent I have gone with my studies, but now I cannot open my books

to read, I will rather drink beer. This is an effect of coronavirus.

(Participant 5, FGD)

In an FGD session, a participant said that Covid-19 has created fear, panic, and
termination of all social life. There is tremendous fear among Nigerians. Fear is
one of the major responses of people in this pandemic. The positive aspect of
the fear is that it has made people be more careful. However, for some people, it
can be traumatizing:

Another impact of this (coronavirus) is fear; my guy came back from

Lagos state where we have the index case, but I was dodging to see
him because of fear of being infected with coronavirus. My social
 activity is terminated. Now I cannot even play football, in order for me
not to contract the virus. I am feeling deprived. (Participant 5, FGD).

Another participant in the FGD session sees the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic
from the international trade perspective. Ninety percent of Nigerian revenue
comes from import and exportation. Global oil prices have fallen because of
Covid-19. Even though diversification is being emphasized in Nigeria currently,
crude oil remains the dominant source of revenue for Nigeria. Given that global
oil prices have fallen drastically, the Nigerian economy has been adversely
affected:

The effect of the coronavirus nationwide is that Nigeria is a country

that is dependent on other countries for survival. We have to sell our
crude oil; they will refine it for us to buy it back. We cannot even refine
our own. Borders are locked down, no more importation and no more
exportation. Nigeria is a country that is not dependent on itself for
food and many other things. This virus is affecting Nigeria
economically because we are not able to export or import, so it is
going to crash the economy. The civil servants are in trouble; they
depend on the federal government, and the federal government
depends on crude oil that is not even doing well. The market price of

crude oil has fallen because countries are channeling their resources
to fight the coronavirus. When Nigeria bring their crude oil, it is priced
at a very low price. It makes Nigeria to make low profit from crude oil
sale. So, it is going to crash the economy because the civil servants
are likely not going to get their pay, because the federal government
are likely not to have money to pay them. Foreign exchange is not as
it was before. Nigeria is dependent on it and have refused to build
their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). We have to depend on other
country to pay salary; they have to take loan, and loan comes with
interest. The countries that could give us loan are even struggling, so
it cannot work. Stock market has crashed, bitcoin has crashed and so
 many other things because of this pandemic. This pandemic has
caused inflation; more money pursuing fewer goods or fewer goods
that more money is pursuing. (Participant 6, FGD)

The reports from the FGD show that there has been increase in crime during this
Covid-19 pandemic. The economy has been shut down. A lot of middle-income
and poor people cannot afford food. The price of food stuffs in many cities has
been hiked. A report from Lagos State shows a state of anarchy. Hungry and
unemployed youths are out in the street every night looking for a house to burgle
and who to rob. One of the participants indicated that he was robbed just last
night:

We were robbed yesterday; my Canon 11 Pro and Apple iPhone were

stolen. If not for the school shutdown caused by Coronavirus, the
environment will not be deserted like this. This will increase crime
rate. There is one thing about hunger. An Igbo tribe adage says that
“The man who is hungry is a mad man; if he eats then he will cure his
madness.” So a hungry man is an angry man. A hungry man can do
anything to fill his stomach. (Participant 8, FGD)

Nigerian Health Sector Epidemic/Pandemic Preparedness

This section assesses the Nigerian health sector preparedness to tackle

epidemics and pandemics such as this Covid-19 and other dangerous health
concerns such as Lassa Fever that are causing panic and ravaging Nigerians’
multivariant sectors. The common recurrent themes from the health
practitioners interviewed show that the Nigerian health sector is underfunded
and underprepared to handle the Covid-19 pandemic if there is such an
overwhelming number of infected cases such as we see in Italy, the United
States, and Spain. Nigerian hospitals are ill equipped. This is the reason Nigerian
politicians, business men, and technocrats travel overseas for medical attention:
They don’t trust the Nigerian health-care sector. The dilapidated state of the
Nigerian health sector was blamed on corruption and corrupt practices. The
politicians siphon off and embezzle public funds meant to fix the Nigerian
health-care system. Personal protective equipment and other equipment that is
needed in handling Covid-19 in the hospitals are not available in Nigerian
hospitals. Some of these items include ventilators, face masks, gloves,
sanitizers, and other equipment for intensive care units:

In a nutshell, Nigerians’ health sector is not prepared to handle

epidemics or pandemics such as coronavirus. For example, there
were only two test centers out of 36 states in Nigeria, one in Lagos
and one in Abuja. Coronavirus cases in Nigeria is far more than what
is reported; this is because mass testing is not carried out, just like it
is done in other clans. I don’t think we are prepared. Personal
protective equipment is not in the hospitals. Ventilators are not
available in most hospitals. Most of the time coronavirus presents
like ordinary cough. Some people do not have any symptoms, and
these test kits are not available in most hospitals. (Medical doctor,
IDI)

Nigerian health-care system is not prepared to handle coronavirus pandemic at

all. It is only God that is handling the situation for us. Our economy is going down
badly. The reason I said that Nigerian health sector is not prepared to face the

pandemic is that even the smallest thing that should be provided is not provided
such as face mask. Face mask that I normally buy 350 naira per a packet in the
market is now 15,000 naira. They are not prepared. Our health sectors do not
have the basic amenities. The drugs are not there. The protective measures such
as overall suit, all of this kits we see in the TV, common overall they have not
provided for the workers. The smallest basic things you can find in the hospitals
are not provided. (Anesthetic nurse, IDI)

Among the health professionals that were interviewed for this study, a medical
director points out that the Nigerian health sector is ill equipped and unprepared
to handle the covid-19 pandemic. The health sector is lacking in basic equipment
necessary to tackle Covid-19. An analysis from a former governor of Anambra
necessary to tackle Covid-19. An analysis from a former governor of Anambra
State, Peter Obi, shows that despite the large amount of money voted into the
Nigerian health sector compared to other neighboring African countries, the
health sector in Nigeria is still in a deplorable state:

I don’t know where to begin because I do not think we have any

health-care system to be talked about. A comparative analysis of the
former governor Peter Obi about what we vote into our health sector
compared to other neighboring countries like Ghana and South Africa.
Comparing these countries with ours is laughable because Nigeria
does not place any interest in health system. This is because of the
selfishness of our leaders; they would readily go to abroad to access
medical care and because of that they do not pay attention to what is
being done to our health sector. The analysis from Peter Obi shows
that what Nigeria has voted for their health sector in 10 years is not
up to what Ghana and South Africa has voted into their health system
in one year. (Medical director, IDI).
As far as health system is concerned in Nigeria, the government is
not prepared for anything. We don’t have any health-care system
because if we had, there should have been facilities for testing at
least, scattered all over Nigeria, even if it is not the church-owned

hospital or private owned. God is our only solace because if there is a

surge we are finished. This has exposed the Nigerian government and
if they are sincere to themselves. At the end of the pandemic, any
reasonable person in government should be thinking of beefing our
health care system up. (Medical director, IDI).

Furthermore, the medical director—in an effort to emphasize the point that the
Nigerian health sector is unprepared to handle covid-19 pandemic let alone a
surge of it—made an example of the President’s chief of staff, who was
diagnosed with Covid-19. He could not be treated in the presidential villa hospital
because of its lack of sophistication, so he was flown to Lagos to be treated in a
private hospital. The underpreparedness of the Nigerian medical sector is due to
private hospital. The underpreparedness of the Nigerian medical sector is due to
corruption and a lack of patriotism. Politicians fail to invest and fix the Nigerian
health sector but would rather fly abroad for medical attention in countries that
have taken the time to build their own medical system to standard. An example
of the Nigerian president who always flies outside the country for medical
attention was given:

In the case of the clinic in Aso Rock, the government have voted
about 13 billion for the past 20 years, and now that we have
coronavirus, it beats my imagination that the clinic cannot afford to
have a single ventilator, talk more of other things. It is ridiculous.
Personally, I want to say that Nigeria has no health-care system. For
instance, when Aba Kayri, the President’s chief of staff, was infected
of the coronavirus, he could not receive any treatment in Abuja of all
places; he was flown to Lagos. It is ridiculous. Nigerian government
has actually failed in the health sector. They embezzle our money and
use it to care for themselves abroad. The president is a typical
example of what I am talking about, because throughout his first
tenure, he has been going abroad for treatment without so much
concern about the condition of our health-care system. (Medical
director, IDI)

Views from the IDI also show that the missionary hospitals or the church-owned
hospitals are doing better in terms of medical treatment for the public when
compared to the government-owned hospitals. These is nothing short of the
corruption seen in government. One opinion that was also emphasized in this
interview was that despite the effort of the church to maintain standard
hospitals, the government is not supporting them in any way to be better
prepared to help in the fight against Covid-19:

I see the church playing a better role in the health system than the
government. Even when the church has very little compared with the
government. The church has 75% of the working hospitals in Nigeria.
For example, I am in Igbo-eze North Local Government, of which the
 For example, I am in Igbo-eze North Local Government, of which the
government has a hospital called general hospital which is more or
less moribund. Go to that place you will see that the workers are not
there, the structure is not there, the place is so tattered. The general
hospital of all hospitals refers patients to St Mary’s Hospital Enugu
Ezike; it is funny. What pains me most, my brother, is that the
government having seen that they have failed in the health sector and
having seen the effort the church is making to provide equitable
health care for the community cannot or does not even want to help
the church… . On the side of the church-owned hospitals, I think the
church is doing very well to contain the pandemic if it comes, but
what can you do without money. Let me give you a typical example of
this hospital now. In this hospital we do not have test kits or isolation
center. If somebody presents a case of fever, for instance, how do
you manage the person? We are only left with our simple knowledge
of being careful of some of those symptoms. I have been able to
procure a few personal protective equipment, not really that of
coronavirus but Lasa Fever. We have buckets of water at every
entrance, and we encourage people to use hand sanitizers, but what
are all this if really this pandemic should strike Nigeria and its
suburbs the way it has affected Western countries. We are nowhere
as far as the health system is concerned. (Medical director, IDI)

Wrong Assumptions on Covid-19 by Nigerians

This section makes an effort to explore some of the wrong assumptions of

Nigerians about Covid-19. There has been a lot of speculation and conspiracy
theories around the origin and nature of the coronavirus. Some of the wrong
assumptions coming from Nigeria are: “The virus does not exist.” (It is important
to note that people were saying this after more than one month of outbreak in
Nigeria and deaths recorded.) It is believed that ignorance and lack of exposure
and education fuels some of these wrong assumptions. Some people also
believe that coronavirus was caused by 5G networks. It was also believed that
believe that coronavirus was caused by 5G networks. It was also believed that
the coronavirus was a biological weapon by China. Some believe that Blacks are
immune to Covid-19, but this turned out to be a very wrong assumption because
Africans are dying, as well as a larger population of Blacks all over the world,
especially in the United States and particularly in New York. Some people also
believed that Covid-19 was created by the Illuminati group for the purpose of
bringing the world population to its knees and to bring about a New World Order
that entails one world religion and one world government. Furthermore, another
wrong assumption was also revealed during an FGD session whereby a
participant indicated that Covid-19 is a disease of the elite and the rich: “I see
coronavirus as a disease for the elite. They are the ones traveling” (Participant 7,
FGD). Some people in Nigeria also believe that the Covid-19 pandemic is a
punishment from God to mankind for their sins. There are countless numbers of
negative assumptions and conspiracy theories by Nigerians:

First of all, some people don’t believe that this virus is in the country.
Some people believe that it is a way of the government making
money. The Internet is full of crap, and people can get very crappy on
the Internet. This thing about 5G network—some people are attaching
it to the coronavirus pandemic. People say that coronavirus is man-
made and also a biological weapon. People say here that the

coronavirus came from people who are consuming wild animals in

China. I think it is still an assumption. You know the Chinese people
really eat rubbish. (The respondent opened his phone and showed me
a YouTube video where Chinese nationals were eating live periwinkles
and other wild seafood). That you should not take vaccine for the
virus because the coronavirus is in the vaccine, and if you take the
vaccine you will be contaminated by the virus. But what people don’t
know is that this is how vaccines are made. Vaccines are made of
weakened or dead virus which you expose the body to, so that if the
body get in contact with a healthy virus, the body has a chance of
eradicating it. For example, hepatitis virus, if you receive the vaccines
 you become immune to it. Some people say that Blacks are immune
to the virus, but that is not the case. What we see now is that 209
Nigerians have the virus, and people have died. The death rate will
rise as cases rise; we pray it does not get to that. (Medical doctor, IDI)
There are a lot of assumptions and conspiracy theories about the
coronavirus. One is that the virus came as a result of people eating
raw bat meat in Wuhan China. As time went on, we heard it was as a
result of biological weapon. A virus concocted in a lab and somehow
it escaped. Some others said it is a third world war between America
and China on who will become world power. Coronavirus is a virus of
business war not just between China and America, but business war
of the world. China wants to dominate the world. Wuhan where this
virus originated from has gone back to normal business. The doctor
who raised the alarm about the existence of the virus was shut down
and eventually killed. So many companies in China got affected so
badly that they sold their shares to China, and China now own these
companies. Some persons believe that the deaths recorded in Nigeria
and other parts of the world is as a result of 5G network and not any
virus. Consequently, people discourage any form of 5G network pole
installation. Some Nigerians believe that the coronavirus does not

exist. (Medical director, IDI).

Some people said that Coronavirus is a way of God punishing
mankind. I get mad when I hear that because if God wants to destroy
mankind, it will not come with a lab-prepared virus. If God wants to
end human race, he will use natural disaster and not man-made virus.
This virus is just we punishing ourselves. It is a very wrong belief.
(Participant 8, FGD).

The Role of Social Workers in the Fight/War Against Covid-19

This section examines the role of Nigerian social workers in the war against the
Covid-19 pandemic. An in-depth interview with practicing social workers
Covid-19 pandemic. An in-depth interview with practicing social workers
revealed that Nigerian social workers are involved in the fight against the Covid-
19 pandemic. This effort was more visible among the medical social workers.
Social workers in Nigeria have played prominent roles in the fight against the
spread of Covid-19. Prominent among the roles is sensitization of the public on
Covid-19 preventive measures. The public were told to maintain social
distancing, to wash hands in running water with soap, and to use hand sanitizer.
Patients and patients’ relatives who come to the hospital are first of all given
information on Covid-19 preventive measures, after which their temperatures will
be tested. Anyone whose temperature is high will be referred to an isolation
center or the Nigeria Center for Disease Control for further investigation. The
social workers indicated that they were involved in the distribution of Covid-19
palliatives for the public to cushion the effects of the hardship people are
experiencing as a result of lockdown. Social workers in their local environment
engage in counseling of individuals and families because of depression and
hardships occasioned by lockdown. Social workers, while counseling individuals
and families, maintain Covid-19 preventive guidelines. It is important to note that
some of these roles played by social workers in Nigeria are not readily
recognized at a larger scale within the nation because until now social work
practice in Nigeria has not been enshrined in the Nigerian constitution or
institutionalized formally nationwide. However, the Nigerian Commission for

Health issued directives to all hospital management for them to employ social
workers as part of their health-care workers, which explains the reason medical
social workers are more visible in the war against Covid-19 in Nigeria. Following
are some of the illustrative quotes from practicing social workers in Nigeria:

Social workers are involved in the fight against coronavirus. We

sensitize people, patients that do come to clinic. We give them health
talk and sensitize them on the coronavirus preventive measures. We
enlighten the public on how to prevent themselves from contracting
the virus by observing social distancing, washing of hands in running
water with soap, use of hand sanitizer, face mask. We make use of
thermometer to check patient’s temperature before they proceed to
 thermometer to check patient’s temperature before they proceed to
hospital treatment; if a patient’s temperature is high, we refer them to
coronavirus isolation center or to NCDC for confirmatory. We advise
patients with other illness and their relatives to get personal
protective gear while in the hospital to avoid contracting the
coronavirus or other deadly virus like Lassa Fever. Social workers
also go into the local communities where social media and traditional
media might not reach to sensitize the community members. We
sensitize them to use hand sanitizers and to regularly wash their
hands, most especially when they touch any surface. We are meant to
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(Medical social worker, IDI)
The coronavirus has a lot of psychological, emotional, and social
impact on Nigerians. Social workers are involved in dissemination of
information on how to prevent coronavirus infection and spread.
Social workers take public enlightenment campaigns to the
grassroots.With respect to dissemination of relief materials to the
public, the government cannot do it alone; when they do, it only gets
to the rich. However, with social workers’ involvement relief materials
will get to the people at the grassroots, the people that really need it.
The medical workers take care of the chemotherapy aspect of
coronavirus, while the social workers take care of the psychotherapy.
(Social work educators, IDI)
We do advocacy: As a result of the hunger emanating from lockdown,
we advocate for the poor mass to get relief materials and financial
support. Social workers help to identify the indigent people. Despite
that all of us are in this problem, there are people who are more
indigent than the others. We identify those categories of people.
Distribution of the relief materials is very important because our
problem now is the hunger virus and not even the coronavirus.
(Medical social worker, IDI)
Solutions to the Deplorable State of the Nigerian Health-Care
System and Its Underpreparedness to Handle a Pandemic

This section explores opinions on what the government can do to better handle
epidemics and pandemics now and in the future. Participants in the FGD and IDI
made a lot of significant suggestions, some of which are: government should
equip the hospitals in Nigeria with personal protective gear, isolation centers
should be built across the country, and disease control awareness programs
In this article 
should be established all over the country to inculcate into the public the values
of personal hygiene. Some of the participants in the study blamed the
underpreparedness of the Nigerian health sector on insensitive government and
corrupt politicians, so they suggested government reform. It was also suggested
that the government should pump money into research on diseases and drugs.
Health workers should be adequately trained, and some health workers should
be sent abroad for more training. Research teams should be established to
specifically carry out research on viruses and emerging viruses. Some of the
illustrative quotes include:

I think God used coronavirus pandemic to expose the Nigerian

government to show them how unprepared they are to handle any

major outbreak of disease. This outbreak is a lesson to the Nigerian

government that they should pump in money into the health sector.
The Nigerian government should be proactive in providing medical
facilities and not wait for outbreak before they start looking for
palliatives. Sophisticated hospitals should be built ahead of time,
doctors and nurses should be well trained, some of them should be
sent abroad for training, to do more research on diseases. I heard
there is another virus called hantavirus and that it has killed one
Chinese man. There should be a research team in the Nigerian health
sector to explore viruses and emerging viruses. My advice for
Nigerian government officials is for them to concentrate of fixing
 their country’s health sector rather than running out of the country for
medical treatment when they are sick. (Nonacademic staff member
of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, IDI)
Government should provide efficient and effective health facilities.
There should be total reform in government because we have
government that is insensitive to the cry or welfare of the masses.
Total reform of the government will go a long way to make Nigerian
health system prepared for the unknown… . Funds meant to be used
to build our health sector are being used for selfish interest by our
leaders. (Anesthetic nurse, IDI)
Government should establish public awareness programs on disease
control across the country to continuously educate people on
personal hygiene. More social workers and public health workers
should be employed. Isolation centers should be built across the
country. Government should get the hospital equipped with
ventilators, testing kits, make available protective kits. (Medical
doctor, IDI)

Discussion
This article was designed to find out the effect of Covid-19 on the
socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians, the preparedness of the health sector,
and the role of social workers in the fight against Covid-19. The study discovered
that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the socioeconomic
and religious well-being of Nigerians. The effects have been devastating. The
study also discovered that the Nigerian health-care system is ill-equipped and
underprepared to handle pandemics such as the one currently ravaging the
whole world (Covid-19). The study also discovered that there were underlining,
misleading assumptions about Covid-19 in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study also
shows that social workers have a significant role to play in the fight against
Covid-19 in Nigeria. In addition, underlining solutions to checkmate the
unpreparedness of the Nigerian health sector to handle the pandemic was
articulated and stipulated.

First, the study revealed that Covid-19 has disrupted and negatively impacted the
socioeconomic and religious progress of Nigerians. All forms of formal
education programs and schools were shut down, and formal academic learning
was disrupted. The worst part of it is that Nigeria is very suboptimal in the use of
information and communication technology (ICT) in learning, such as distance
learning and online education. If this were not the case, the Nigerian education
sector would not have been affected so badly by the coronavirus because
academic activities would have continued online. The economy that is
comprised of buying, selling, and production was shut down. Market men and
women, artisans, and those who depend on daily activities for survival have been
adversely affected. In fact, it was said that the “hunger virus” was more
devastating to common Nigerians than the coronavirus. The Nigerian
entertainment industry was shut down: Musicians; actors and actresses;
comedians; fine and applied artists who had events, shows, and exhibitions
scheduled had to indefinitely postponed or canceled the shows entirely. All
forms of social gathering were banned, such as weddings, birthday parties, and
funerals. All forms of religious gatherings were banned; many congregants and
worshipers were perplexed and dismayed. Other findings from several scholars
from different nations also show that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a
devastating impact on the socioeconomic well-being of the people. In a working
paper by McKibbin and Fernando (2020), they asserted that based on the
empirical evidence available, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the economy
of China, which has had a boomerang effect on the global economy. Also,
Atkeson (2020), in a working paper with the National Burau of Economic
Research, discovered that the rise in the case of deaths from Covid-19 in the
United States will heighten unemployment and also cause scarcity of labor in
financial institutions. Guerrieri, Lorenzoni, and Straub (2020) studied the
macroeconomic implications of Covid-19: Covid-19 has caused a shutdown of
different sectors of the American nation, causing undue pain and disruption of
social activities of the citizens.

Second, the study discovered that the Nigeria health sector is ill
prepared/underprepared to handle pandemics such as Covid-19 and epidemics
such as Lassa Fever. The number of hospitals in Nigeria is inconsequential with
respect to the 200 million Nigerians and insignificant to handle epidemics or
pandemics in the country. The available hospitals are ill equipped and in a very
moribund state. None of the government-owned hospitals in Nigeria has a single
ventilator. Personal protective equipment for disease control was not available in
the hospitals even before and during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. This
explains why Nigerian politicians, technocrats, and successful businessmen are
quick to leave Nigeria for medical attention whenever they need it. This agrees
with the finding of a similar qualitative study by Ughasoro, Esangbedo, and
Udorah (2019), which examined Nigerian health-care facility preparedness for a
prompt and effective response to disease outbreaks. A total of 193 health-care
workers (HCW) participated in the study. The study revealed that 98.4% of the
HCW were of the view that Nigerian health-care facilities were insufficiently
equipped to respond to disease outbreaks. None of the health facilities in Nigeria
had an emergency operation unit. The study revealed that none of the HCW who
participated in the study has ever undergone any form of emergency training.
The study concluded that the overall poor level of preparedness that exists in
Nigerian health-care facilities means that they cannot prevent or contain a
communicable disease outbreak. Similarly, a study by Osain (2011) also revealed
that the Nigeria health system is backwards and poorly developed. No adequate
and functional surveillance systems are developed and hence no tracking
system to monitor the outbreak of communicable disease, bioterrorism, and
chemical poisoning. In addition, Okonofua (2017) made an assessment of
women’s satisfaction with maternal health care in referred hospitals in Nigeria.
The result of the study shows that low use of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal
services by women was due to the low quality of care in health facilities.

Third, the study revealed that there were many wrong assumptions, speculations,
and conspiracy theories by Nigerians about the origin, nature, and operations of
and conspiracy theories by Nigerians about the origin, nature, and operations of
the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the wrong assumptions and conspiracy
theories are as follows: Coronavirus does not exist; it is propaganda by
politicians to syphon billions of Naira; coronavirus was caused by the 5G
network; Africans and Nigerians in particular are immune to the virus, so the
virus cannot hurt them; coronavirus was created by the Illuminati to humble the
world and bring about one world government and one world religion; Covid-19
was a biological weapon created by China to humble the rest of the world so it
could become the economic power of the world, and so on. These findings are
also in line with what other scholars, bloggers, and newspaper columnists have
revealed about wrong assumptions of Nigerians and the coronavirus pandemic.
Kazeem (2020), writing about fake news, indicated that social media such as
WhatsApp and Facebook have been utilized to pass misinformation about the
Covid-19 pandemic. He also described how people drank and bathed with salt as
Ebola preventive measures during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Misinformation
and wrong assumptions have wreaked havoc on the efforts to contain the
spread of Covid-19. Similarly, CNN debunked some of the myths and wrong
assumption about Covid-19 (Kaur, 2020). Some of the debunked claims were as
follows: Black people don’t get coronavirus; heat from the sun kills the virus; and
kids can’t get the coronavirus. The British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC, 2020)
has also debunked some Covid-19 myths in Africa, such as the claim that
inhaling very hot steam is a cure, a claim that was actually endorsed by the
Tanzanian president, and that consuming alcohol protects one from Covid-19—a
government official in Kenya recommended and distributed Hennessy as a
throat sanitizer. The World Health Organization African zone has also conducted
workshops in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, such as the one in February 2020, to
address misinformation of the public about the Covid-19 pandemic (WHO, 2020).

Fourth, the study discovered that social workers in Nigeria play a significant role
in the war against Covid-19. Some of the roles played by Nigerian social workers
in the fight against Covid-19 include information dissemination on Covid-19
preventive measures such as social distancing, staying at home, hand washing,
using hand sanitizer, coughing into the elbow, and using gloves and face masks.
using hand sanitizer, coughing into the elbow, and using gloves and face masks.
Social workers also helped in the distribution of government and
nongovernmental palliative measures such as food and other gift items to the
public to cushion the effect of lockdown necessitated by Covid-19. Social
workers also engage in counseling while maintaining antitransmission
measures. According to the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW,
2020), “In many countries social workers are supporting communities that are
affected or fearful of the Covid-19 virus.” Some of the functions of social
workers at this time of pandemic include: ensuring that the most vulnerable are
included in planning and response; organizing communities to ensure that
essentials such as food and clean water are available; facilitating physical
distancing and social solidarity; and advocating for the advancement and
strengthening of health and social services as an essential protection against
the virus.

Finally, the study revealed some suggestions about solutions to the deplorable
state of the Nigerian health-care system and its underpreparedness to handle
the pandemic: Government should pay more attention to health sector funding;
Nigerian hospitals should be equipped with technological apparatus for
treatment and disease control; research teams should be created and funded to
engage in research on existing and emerging viruses; and the government

should be reformed to eradicate corruption.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the socioeconomic

well-being of Nigerians. Almost all sectors of the Nigerian state except the
medical sector were shut down. The virus pandemic has been riddled with wrong
assumptions and conspiracy theories from Nigerians. The Nigerian health-care
system was ill equipped, underfunded, and underprepared to handle Covid-19
pandemic or any epidemic. Nigerian social workers have played a significant role
in the fight against Covid-19, but their effort has been hindered and mitigated by
a lack of government recognition and institutionalization of the profession. The
study hereby recommends that the Nigeria government should institutionalize
social work practice in Nigeria and give the profession a place in the main
stream of the economy. The government should pay more attention to the
Nigerian health sector in terms of funding, equipping hospitals, and training of
medical staff. Government reform is necessary to be rid of corrupt politicians
who embezzle funds meant for the health sector.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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