CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The pandemic of corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) is having a major effect on Nigeria. It is the most important public health issue in many of our lifetimes, as well as the most major geopolitical phenomenon of our decade. The required policy response to halt its spread, as well as the subsequent downstream consequences, have had a significant negative impact on the economy; economic activity in several sectors has dwindled. Stock market averages have dropped sharply from their pre-epidemic peak, and unemployment has increased significantly from its previous level. Academic, corporate, and community care programs are both facing significant funding losses in addition to increased costs from hospital modifications and increased personnel as the front lines of this response.

With a large population of over 180 million, no state would be immune to the pressures of this case, while some will have had more time to plan. According to Cavallo (2020), what is clear is that the pandemic would necessitate tight cooperation with the public sector, health-care distribution processes, and human actions.

About the fact that the Covid-19 disease first appeared in China in December 2019, Nigeria registered its first index case on February 27th, 2020. (Ohia, Bakarey, & Ahmad, 2020). According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the disease has expanded to more than 30 states since then, with the number of reported cases and deaths rising on a regular basis (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 2020). Corona virus disease 2019 is an infectious disease that is popularly known as Covid-19 (Moore, 2020). It is a highly contagious illness that spreads from person to person (Adnan, Khan, Kazmi, Bashir, & Siddique, 2020). (Unhale, Ansar, Sanap, Thakhre & Wadatkar, 2020). Near connections are often affected by respiratory droplets produced when an infected individual sneezes or coughs (Harapan, Itoh, Yufika, Winardi, Keam, Te & Mudatsir, 2020). Although interventions such as lockout, social distancing, self-isolation or self-quarantine, and observation of basic hygiene habits such as routine hand washing, wearing facemasks, and covering the mouth with a handkerchief when coughing or sneezing have been advised to limit disease spread among people (Ohia, Bakarey & Ahmad, 2020).

1.2  STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Long before the emergence of covid-19, unemployment has been a major challenge in Nigeria. Provision of job opportunities is limited by the government (Public sector) and the private sector carries most of the responsibility in providing job opportunities for Nigerian citizens. This however, is not enough to bring an end to the issue of unemployment in Nigeria and as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, there has been a spike in unemployment rate, as it lead organizations to lay off staff.

This study seeks to examine the Covid-19 pandemic and how it has affected the unemployment rate in Nigeria.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.      To examine the covid-19 pandemic and its effect on unemployment.

2.      To investigate whether the covid-19 pandemic is the major cause of unemployment in Nigeria.

3.      To proffer possible solutions that would tackle the issue of unemployment caused by the pandemic.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.      What are the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on unemployment?

2.      Is the covid-19 pandemic the major cause of unemployment in Nigeria?

3.      What are the possible solutions that would tackle the issue of unemployment caused by the pandemic?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be helpful in the academic field as it would be an addition to the issue of covid-19 and its effects on unemployment. This study would also be helpful for researchers who want to create a link with covid-19 and how it has affected other sectors or industries. This study will be helpful to the government in order for them to formulate policies that prevent the spread of covid and also reduce the rate of unemployment in Nigeria.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to Covid-19 and its effects on unemployment in Nigeria. It would only cover the relationship between covid-19 and unemployment in Nigeria as well as solutions to reduce the rate of unemployment in Nigeria.

1.7  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study was limited as a result of time and the necessary funds to carry out the research in depth.

1.8  OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      COVID-19: A virus that causes improper breathing, has side effects and can may lead to the death of an individual.

UNEMPLOYMENT: The rate at which individuals do not have any means of livelihood to survive and fend for themselves and their families.