The global economy has been shivering, as COVID 19 continues to take its toll on it. Nigeria is not left out too; the country’s economy has been a drag since the virus came into its shores on February 28, 2020.
By early March, the Nigerian government had ordered a total lockdown of the country. And this has continuously disrupted its economy, dealing untold hardship to the common people.

Thousands of people have become jobless. Those who retained their jobs took pay cuts, many of which were between 50% to 75% of their monthly take-home allowance. Moreso, a quarter of Nigerians live on daily income, a category of people often referred to as “hustlers”. They earn their daily bread by going about their daily commercial activities. These include the taxi drivers, the motorcycle riders, the petty traders, hairstylists, road hawkers, artisans, to mention a few. The lockdown threatened their lives as their sources of livelihood were on “lockdown” too.

This status quo prevailed in the midst of ghastly inflation and food scarcity. Plunging many Nigerians into extreme hunger and famine. And the government has made no concrete effort to alleviate the people’s condition, as no palliatives have been made available in cash or kind.

During this period, Lagos state experienced an unprecedented surge in neighbourhood robbery. And most of these robbery attacks were centred around food and food items.

Though yet, the federal government and some humanitarian organisations carried out food drive around Lagos to people who cannot feed due to the COVID 19 measures. But this was far from salvaging the situation, as many got involved in stampedes to get food, throwing caution into the wind and risking getting trampled upon, should they fall down. Others went home empty-handed.

Aside from Lagos state, robberies were getting incessant in other places too. And this is a no-brainer; people who were not allowed to go to work were resorting to stealing to stay alive. Others risked violating the stipulated measures, and began to go out to hustle, while some others resorted to begging on the streets.

Read more: https://thefederation.com.ng/2020/10/01/covid-19-the-challenge-of-inflation-hunger-and-the-hike-in-the-price-of-bread-by-miracle-odenigbo/