THE UNTOLD REALITY OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BONDING SYSTEM OF PETTY TRADERS IN ODEDA AND OSIELE MARKETS, OGUN STATE

Abstract

 The emergence of COVID-19 in the world today has greatly affected all other social institutions in the world. Thus, the situation of the pandemic in Nigeria has greatly affected social network and business activities of the petty traders. In Ogun State, the plan of the State Government toward the distribution of palliative measure lack human face due to absence of transparency and accountability in the distribution of the incentives to petty traders leading to increase in poverty, trauma, unemployment, inequality and absolute emotional neutrality among others. Extant publications were reviewed with elite theory for the inquiry. Mixed methods and descriptive research design were adopted. Nonprobability sample method (purposive sampling) was adopted to serve 200 structured questionnaires among petty traders but 185 was found useful in the selected markets while out of 20 in-depth interviews were conducted 15 was found useful for the research. The result on how the emergence of COVID-19 affect income of the petty traders shows X2 (8.45) df-1 p = 0.000 (P < 0.05), while the relationship between emergency of COVID-19 on  psychological and physical well- being of market men and women in Odeda and Osiele were significant at  X2 (7.81), df-1 p = 0.000 (P < 0.05).The result of the in-depth interviews shows that 15 out of the 20 participants interviewed agreed that COVID-19 affected their income and social network system. It is on this ground that the following recommendations were stated, Nigerian government should encourage the improvement and development of traditional medicine for curing COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerians Government should constantly provide loans at zero interest to the petty traders to encourage them in growing their business activities. Embrace constant checking and obeying the vaccination rules and regulations