TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3. Statement of the problem

4. Covid-19 and its effect on Ibadan

5. Conclusion

6. References
Abstract
The coronavirus disease is a communicable and contagious respiratory disease that
has not only affected human social lives, interactions and relationships but has
equally changed other significant patterns and aspects of people’s normal life, even
after the global lockdown. Ibadan residents, during and after the lockdown caused
by COVID-19 are behaviourally influenced and affected by the novel virus. Thus,
this study sought to investigate how COVID-19 pandemic has affected social
lifestyle and interactions of Ibadan residents.
While Lagos and Abuja capital city continue to be the epicenter of the COVID-19
pandemic in Nigeria accounting for nearly half of confirmed cases, Oyo State is also
generating a buzz. The state, just north of Lagos, has the sixth highest case count,
and infections are steadily rising.
On March 22, 2020, Oyo state confirmed its first active case in the city of Ibadan
and as at November 2020, Oyo state has recorded over 3000 confirmed cases of
Covid-19 with the country having over 60,000 confirmed cases recorded. The
coronavirus (COVID-19) has now spread to over 177 countries and territories since
the virus first emerged in China in late 2019. As of May 22, 2021, the death toll has
risen to 2,067 while the number of confirmed cases has risen faster to 165,944 in
Nigeria with Oyo state having 6,856 of confirmed cases.
Many states and cities across the Nigerian community, are facing unprecedented
challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oyo state and particularly Ibadan
and her people are no exception. It is now, more than ever, that leadership which can
unite the spirit of Ibadan residents and rouse collective action is needed. Ibadan is
tested today, as it has been in the past and, it has the ability and opportunity to
mobilize its people to turn the tide against the coronavirus. But time is of the essence
and immediate decisive action is imperative.
Introduction
Man, as a social being interacts with one another on daily basis and depends on
communication for his continual existence and survival. Even in business
organizations, people interact with each other because human beings make up part
of the organization. Other resources of the business cannot be properly coordinated
without effective communication between and among personnel of the organization.
Hence, communication or interaction and other social activities like exercising (walk
out), walking, travelling, business operations have become indispensable in man’s
daily activities. Communication is an indispensable component in human lives and
existence and no society has been known to exist without it. However, the presence
of any outbreak or pandemic poses a threat to human existence and adversely affects
his social live, interactions and relationships. Such pandemic is the novel corona
virus popularly known as COVID-19.
In order to stem the tide of the pandemic, Nigeria, just like other countries such
China, USA, Italy, France, Britain adopted and implemented the national lockdown
strategy and social distancing on the 27th March, 2020. Subsequently, the Nigerian
government placed a travel ban on 13 countries with high rate of the pandemic.
These countries are: The United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Switzerland,
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Japan and Iran. It was on
March 30, 2020 that the ban of all local and international flights into and out of
Nigeria took effect.
However, the lockdown measures, while necessary to minimize loss of life and
danger posed by the disease created significant economic anxieties, with adverse
consequences on human social lives and activities, food security and hunger, social
and household welfare. In most cases, the lockdown order led to travel ban, closure
of schools and offices, working from home, as people were strictly warned to stay at
home, maintain proper hygiene and maintaining social distancing of 1.5 metre from
another person. It is therefore certain that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown would
have uncountable consequences on people’s social life, their interaction and general
activities. The social impacts of corona virus and the actions taken to reduce its
spread are severe, such that the circumstances has resulted in a unique situation in
which people had to change their routine lifestyles, their activity patterns, the way
they work and how they travel which are three facets of daily life. Based on the
COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in global lockdown, it became imperative to
understand how people living in Ibadan were affected, especially in their social
lifestyle, communication patterns and interactions and their overall welfare.
Statement of the Problem
Man is a social being, who interacts with and depends on one another for his
continual existence and survival. Hence, communication, movement and travelling,
working and schooling have become indispensable part of man’s daily activities.
However, the presence of any outbreak or pandemic becomes a threat to human
existence and inversely affects his social live, contacts and relationships.
Coronavirus is one of the recent pandemic outbreaks that have impacted the way in
A middle-aged man sells cloth face masks and face shields along a major highway in Ibadan
southwest Nigeria.

which people used to live. The outbreak of COVID-19 in Ibadan has in one way or
the other affected many residents and their daily activities. It is therefore, against
this backdrop that this study seeks to investigate the negative impacts of COVID-19
pandemic on the social lives and interactions of Ibadan citizens.
COVID-19 and its effect on Ibadan
The global and local effect of COVID-19 pandemic has been well predicted. The
pandemic brought about global lockdown and social distancing that had serious
outcome on world economy, people’s social lives, activities and interactions, jobs,
education, transportation and general welfare of the people.
In Ibadan, the effect is as follows:
COVID-19 and social live and household welfare: Reports showed that majority of
Ibadan residents received increased support from friends and increased support from
family members. Majority of the population live life under the curfew, fear, panic
buying, closure of businesses, factories and educational institutions. The pandemic
resulted in loss of jobs in all industries and has a broader impact than the recession
in the year 2008. The most affected industries are hotels, travel, transport, oil,
entertainment, real estate, construction and advertising.
COVID-19 and people’s movement and transportation: Research showed significant
fallout of Industries in the transportation and tourism sector experienced a decrease
in productivity as everyone must completely stay at home.
COVID-19 and people’s lifestyles and activities: A lot of residents were reported to
be paying more attention to their mental health following the pandemic.

Motorcyclists while waiting for passengers to transport to and from the market. When asked about
their consciousness about COVID-19, they pointed to the face masks they wore, though
improperly.

Conclusion:
COVID-19 has negatively affected the lives of people, ranging from lack of face-to-
face human communication and interaction, to change in people’s social welfare and
lifestyle, to halt in education and academic activities, restriction in movement and
transportation and household welfare challenges. Thus, people’s social lives,
activities and income were greatly affected as a result of lockdown order in the year
2020. It is therefore, concluded that the pandemic has done more harm than good to
Ibadan people and the economy as it let to unpredicted structural behavioral changes
and recession that in turn resulted in hunger and poverty and deaths.

At a KFC outlet in Ibadan, only one person out of four wore the face mask properly.

This becomes a great challenge that must be dealt with in order to curb or possibly
nip the menace of COVID-19 disease and its negative consequences in the bud.
Based on the conclusion, it is recommended that policymakers should intensify
efforts to ensure that corona virus is completely eradicated by providing and making
COVID-19 drugs and vaccines available to all. This study therefore, has presented
an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ibadan citizens and thus,
contributed to government’s efforts to avert the negative impact of the pandemic on
the economy and the people. To curb or possibly nip the menace of COVID-19 in
the bud and commence normal human activities in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital:
Policy makers should intensify efforts to ensure that corona virus is completely
eradicated by providing and making COVID-19 drugs and vaccines available
everyone. The Oyo State government should approve and implement fumigation of
all the institutions and households all over the State on monthly basis. The
government should ensure strict compliance to PTF directive on COVID-19 by
citizen by delegating PTF monitoring teams to Communities. The lockdown rule
should be ruled out or stopped; however, every citizen should always wear facemask
and maintain proper hygiene. Government should ensure adequate distribution of
COVID-19 palliatives to people; especially those in sub-urban areas to enable them
cope with the economic recession occasioned by the pandemic.
References
1. Boluwatife Adeleye Adewale, Yetunde Celia Adeniyi, Oluwadamilola Adeola
Adeniyi, Blessing Comfort Ojediran, Peter Seyi Aremu, Olubunmi Emmanuel
Odeyemi, Abiodun David Akintayo, Faith Anuoluwapo Oluwadamilare, Chiamaka
Bianca Offorbuike. Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Students at
the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. 16 March 2021
2. Adediran I. 2020. Lagos Begins Telemedicine for Coronavirus-Unrelated Health
Issues.https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/389205-lagos-
begins-telemedicine-for-coronavirus-unrelated-health-issues.html [Google Scholar]
3. Waris Sanusi. Economic Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic. “Case study of the capital
city of Ibadan.”November 19, 2020
4. Chinwe Mirian O, Mathew Danjuma and Bigman Amaonyeze N. Impact of
Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Social Lives and Interactions
of Nigerian Citizens. Arch Med Vol.13 No.3:15.