COVID-19 and the Case for Universal Basic Income in Nigeria

In Nigeria, health facilities in urban slums are few and far between, and likely to be overwhelmed if the virus spreads into these communities. Enforcing lockdowns will not be sustainable if governments do not provide a generous safety-net.

Written by Oluwaseyi Somefun

Jun 12, 2020

A boy runs across sandbags to avoid walking through the wastewater that flows freely through the slum area of Ajeromi-Ifelodun in Lagos, Nigeria. TOM SAATER

As the novel coronavirus ravaged China, Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world, many Africans expressed scepticism about the existence and severity of the virus. Across the world, the pandemic continues to highlight deepening inequality and socioeconomic disparities within societies. Several countries were ill-prepared for the pandemic, which has called for an introspective approach from developing countries including Nigeria.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), there were about 12,486 confirmed cases in Nigeria as of 7 June 2020. Although government has commissioned new isolation centres in some states, the pace of testing is still very slow in Nigeria compared to other African countries like Ghana and South Africa. This highlights the low level of preparedness and severe strain on the health care system that Nigeria faces.

According to researchers, Stephen Parodi and Vincent Liu, containment and mitigation are two responses to an infectious outbreak. The containment phase involves isolating and treating identified cases with effective contact tracing while mitigation focuses on ‘social distancing’, ‘lockdowns’ and other measures that ensure the population is at a reduced risk. In Nigeria, the first known case was from an Italian on a Turkish flight to Nigeria and while the case was effectively contained through contact tracing measures, authorities did not sufficiently consider policy measures to curb the further spread. For instance, many senior political figures went to high-risk countries, came back without being quarantined at points of entry (as in Ghana and Uganda) and went about daily activities, which led to a further spread of the disease and panic. News about their travels—and in some cases infected status—broke out on social media, creating hysteria and more discussions around the politics of COVID-19 testing in Nigeria. The biggest question centred around who gets tested and how many people get tested in a country with vast inequalities like Nigeria, where test kits are scarce and government officials and their wealthy friends who may have had contact with positive colleagues get preferential treatment.

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About the Author

Oluwaseyi Somefun

is a social demographer interested in improving the sexual and reproductive health behaviours of youth through health communication and policy dissemination.

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