POST-EVALUATIVE ANALYSIS OF COVID - 19’s IMPACT ON BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The emergence and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was a global health crisis of the 21st century and stood as the greatest challenge ever faced after World War II. Not only were countries, races, and statuses affected. Organisational health and businesses were equally affected. Up till today, some countries, families and individuals are still grappling with the devastation caused by the pandemic. The paper is a post-evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected business organisations in Akwa Ibom State using a qualitative approach. The study design was ex post facto. Two hundred and thirty (230) business organisations were selected using simple random sampling and simple percentage and content analysis were used in the presentation of data. Dynamic Capabilities theory provided an explanatory framework. The findings of the study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected all the business enterprises studied in the state. The pandemic affected enormously the productivity capacity of 220 (84.29%) businesses studied. Many of the businesses (84.29%) could not operate due to the pandemic. About 95% of workers in these enterprises were retrenched, while others were made to work from home remotely. Workers’ income (salaries and allowances) was cut, and work relationships were disrupted. The study recommended, among others, the need for business organisations to change their business model in terms of resource and raw material sourcing. Also, the study recommended the need for continued enforcement of safety protocol as it seems to have been slack, even as new variants of the disease have been reported recently in 9 countries of the world.