COVID-19 POLITICS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA, 2020 TO 2021

Abstract

Recent history is replete with the outbreak of epidemics and pandemics viz, H1N1 in 2009, polio and Ebola in 2014, Corona virus in 2020 among others. To say that these health emergencies have taken political and economic tolls on the globe is stating the obvious. However, none has recorded more adverse effects than the recent COVID-19 due to its attendant shutdown of the global economy for almost one year. This paper focuses on COVID-19 Politics and local communities in Nigeria, 2020-2021. Drawing from both primary and secondary sources, the paper reveals that the Nigerian government at all levels played and continue to play insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians over COVID-19 issues. Adopting a historical research method, the paper is analytical and concludes that there is plenty of deceit in government approach(s) to the issue(s) of COVID-19 leading to lose of confidence in the government. This deceit, no doubt, informed the level of responsiveness and compliance to the COVID-19 protocols by the Nigerian people. The paper recommends that government should adopt measures to restore the people’s confidence to reduce the problem of compliance by the people especially, in times of future emergencies.