Covid 19: Assessing Social Welfare Policy and the Involvement of Street Level Bureaucrats in Nigeria

Abstract

The incident of COVID – 19 in Nigeria has exposed the dilapidated level of the health sector, inadequacy in the provision and administration of social welfare to the citizens and the challenges faced by the street-level bureaucrats in their course of duties to fight COVID 19. The Study assesses the social welfare policy of COVID 19 in Nigeria and the involvement of the street-level bureaucrat. The study relies on secondary data with content analysis of books, journals, internet source and other relevant materials. The study revealed that COVID 19 pandemic with its damaging effects is real in Nigeria and the number of effected persons and death are gradually increasing. The social welfare policy measures by the government is inadequate, the frontline healthcare bureaucrats faced the challenge of coping with the outbreak of COVID-19 due to shortage of resources such as: equipment, staff, protection gears and other accessories needed to work. Most Nigerian did not believe in the existence of the coronavirus. The study recommended that Nigeria should improve on testing capacity; recruit more health care personnel, Institutionalize people oriented social welfare policies with or without emergency situation; there should investment on street level bureaucrats in area of capacity building and motivation. Awareness and sensitization should be created on the existence COVID 19 pandemic and its ravaging effects through mobilization of the people at the grassroots. Government should open up the economy school and the churches should be opened. People must be ready to take responsibility for their healths while the WHO and countries of the word should be proactive in finding cure for the COVID 19 pandemic.