Urban Vulnerability of Waste Workers in Nigerian Cities: The Case of Aba, Nigeria

Nzeadibe, Thaddeus Chidi; Ochege, Friday Uchenna

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71389-2_16

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…They are not exactly poor; rather, they are at the borderline of poverty, doing petty jobs. These set of people make daily earnings as taxi and bus drivers, waste collectors, head-porters, petty traders, hawkers, cobblers, mechanics and road-side food sellers, among others (World Bank, 2019;Nzeadibe and Ochege, 2018). The sudden disruption of the economic productivity of this group due to COVID-19 restrictions and lack of social support have brought about devastating impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contextual reflections on COVID-19 and informal workers in Nigeria

Omobowale

Oyelade

Omobowale

et al. 2020

IJSSP

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PurposeThe index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was reported on 27 February 2020. Subsequently, the exponential increase in cases has brought about the partial and total lockdown of cities, the closure of all schools and the shutdown of government offices in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 and its subsequent drastic curtailment policies have implications on vulnerable groups, especially, informal workers who constitute about 70% of the active working population in Nigeria. This reflective discourse critically engages the plight of informal workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe research was guided by the epistemology of pandemic interpretationism. It engages contextual reflections of the plight of economically vulnerable informal workers in Nigeria. Data were collected from secondary sources while rapid case studies were conducted with ten informal workers in Lagos and Ibadan. Afterwards, data were contextually analysed.FindingsEconomically vulnerable informal workers in Nigeria have contextually interpreted COVID-19 as an elite disease, imported into Nigeria by the wealthy. In addition, the mass population views COVID-19 containment measures such as lockdowns, movement restrictions and stay-at-home orders as elitist policies, which are aimed at protecting the wealthy and frustrating the poor and economically vulnerable who live on the fringes of poverty. Many informal workers have slipped below the poverty line while struggling to supply livelihood needs, as they were unable to earn daily income and cannot access palliatives. Consequently, they are of the opinion that “Hunger Virus is deadlier than Corona Virus”.Originality/valueThis paper is a contextual reflection on the plight of economically vulnerable informal workers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and movement restrictions in Nigeria. It presents pandemic interpretationism as an epistemological guide and reflectively examines the poverty impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian informal sector via contextual analyses of secondary data and rapid case studies. The paper uncovers various COVID-19 livelihood experiences and the responses of the informal workers; furthermore, it provides policy recommendations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contextual reflections on COVID-19 and informal workers in Nigeria

Omobowale

Oyelade

Omobowale

et al. 2020

IJSSP

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From Vulnerability to Sustainability: Implementation of Free Education Programmes and Reversal of Child Trafficking in Nigeria

Oguonu

Ajaero

Ezeibe

et al. 2019

Journal of Human Trafficking

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COVID-19 Pandemic and Informal Urban Governance in Africa: A Political Economy Perspective

Onyishi

Ejike-Alieji

Ajaero

et al. 2020

Journal of Asian and African Studies

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The outbreak and spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is probably the most serious global challenge since World War II. While research has paid considerable attention to the technical, epidemiological and public health aspects of the pandemic in Africa, it neglects the social, economic and political dimensions. Relying on analysis of data on trends of COVID-19 infections from the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and a rapid review of available international and national policy/programme documents on COVID-19 control responses in Africa, this study assessed the extant protocols and responses to COVID-19 in relation to urban governance principles. Utilizing the political economy framework, the social conditions of informal labour and business activities during the COVID-19 pandemic are explored with accession to social habitus of informality. The paper argues that in as much as the COVID-19 pandemic is a pervasive health problem it should be treated more as a social and political economy challenge given the large informal nature of urbanism in Africa. The study concludes that urban governance that incorporates collective organization, community groups, non-state and informal actors offers scope in the battle against COVID-19 in Africa. Rethinking African urbanism in line with the principles of the Global Campaign on Urban Governance is also canvassed.

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Urban Vulnerability of Waste Workers in Nigerian Cities: The Case of Aba, Nigeria

Cited by 4 publications

References 27 publications

Contextual reflections on COVID-19 and informal workers in Nigeria

Contextual reflections on COVID-19 and informal workers in Nigeria

From Vulnerability to Sustainability: Implementation of Free Education Programmes and Reversal of Child Trafficking in Nigeria

COVID-19 Pandemic and Informal Urban Governance in Africa: A Political Economy Perspective

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