Covid-19 and Nigerian Workers

The Role of Law in Mitigating The Impact of Crisis Management Measures

Abstract

In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Nigerian government imposed different measures to curtail and stop the spread of the virus, to protect the health of the public. Despite, the recondite nature of the disease and the proclivity of modern society, the government relied on the almost 100 years old Quarantine Act of 1926 for statutory backing to issue the different emergency orders and measures despite the recondite nature of the disease and the proclivity of modern society. A cursory perusal of the Act reveals that it lacks provisions dealing with the employment implications of public health shut-downs. Drawing from selected reports and works, this paper evaluates the employment implications of the Nigerian government’s response to the COVID- 19 pandemic from the prism of labour law. The paper recommends a review of extant laws and the involvement of social partners in policymaking processes towards ensuring adequate statutory protection for workers particularly in times of economic crisis.