Social protection to cushion COVID-19 effects

Date: 31 December 2020 4:34am WAT

NIGERIA-HEALTH-VIRUS-RELIGION-CHRISTIANITY

A woman wearing face mask sanitise her hands outside the St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland in Lagos following the reopening of Churches and lifting of restrictions on religious gatherings by the government as precaution to check the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus at the Holy Cross Cathedral, on August 9, 2020. - Nigerian government has lifted the ban on religious gathering across the country as measure to check the spread of the novel COVID-19 pandemic, but with conditions that worshippers adhere strictly to precautionary measures to curtail the spread of the virus. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

Sir: COVID-19 pandemic issues have put enormous pressures on people and different economies and societies world-wide, particularly, in the distortion of movements and commercial activities, which affect the poor and developing countries. The introduction of social protection schemes will be a great advantage, limiting the negative effects and hence preventing poverty. It will also lead to an increase in food distributions. Introduction of this kind of social protection policies will cushion the effects of the pandemic and more of these need to be discussed during the stakeholders’ consultations. Protection schemes include regular payment of the pensions, to the elderly, to ameliorate the impacts of COVID-19, employment guarantees, during the times and after the COVID-19, cash transfers, and looking at ways to solve the different security challenges, which is a serious concern to every Nigerian.

Michael Adedotun Oke, freelance writer and founder of Talent Up Grade Global Concept.