Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a tethering on the edge of a make or mar moment in the history of the world as it is chiefly a crisis for health and a tragedy for humanity, but it also poses economic consequences that is far-reaching. In emerging countries like Nigeria, it has already disrupted the livelihoods of millions of individuals, with uneven impact among poor and vulnerable households and small and informal industries and the disruption pace is expected to accelerate the crisis in the coming weeks. No nation or community is exempt; in oil-rich countries such as Nigeria, the challenges of COVID-19 is exacerbated by falling price in crude. The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has raised sundry questions for sectors including water and energy around the world. While workers provide services in a geographic areas, operational and systematic concerns and understandings apply across national borders. This paper draw attention to the importance of electricity and water, sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria especially in areas such as slums, given that many Nigerians live in overcrowded and deprived areas facing major socioeconomic impediments, to these efforts, the important contribution to handwashing is to help reduce disease spread and also highlight the significance of water as an industry that is so critical to the wellbeing of societies, economies, and the environment and key for the current health crisis. The water and electricity sector should be proactive in doing its part to address COVID-19 pandemic and the ramifications of its spread. As the continent’s leaders take decisive action in the formal, informal and development sectors to save human lives and shield trades, households and geographic economies from the pandemic consequence. Therefore, the responsibility is up to all governments and their development partners to improve health care services and other measures that are critical by providing near constant electricity and water supply for its citizenry to help contribute immensely to social distancing, deepening stay at home, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 both in the short and long run and teaching of public health that is based on systematic evidence to decrease the distress and apprehension caused by distorted and misinformation through social media. In particular, Nigerian government should act swiftly and decisively to provide robust support and not just the rhetoric of stimulus announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria for significant national public health and health care programs, development of medical countermeasure, domestic preparedness programs and response instruments and global cooperationto reduce the virus impacts. Prompt action now is needed to avoid worst case health and economic consequences.

Keywords

COVID -19, electricity, access to water,community engagement, Nigeria