“The Nigerian government has responded notably to address the pandemic’s impact on the economy. So far, $ 1.4 billion in additional spending has been executed, which is estimated at 0.3% of GDP. This paper examines the macroeconomic landscape and policy interventions in Nigeria with the objective of developing lessons not only for Nigeria but for other developing economies.”
“The paper shows that while Chinese diplomats have experimented with many innovative public diplomacy tools, the Guangzhou incident occasioned a retreat to more conventional methods.”
“In prioritising public health, governments have drawn on emergency legislation to implement lockdown regulations. These measures narrow the gap between authoritarianism and democracy and can be used as a pretext for authoritarian regimes to hold on to power.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disastrous impact on the global economic and social fabric. Zoonotic disease spill-over from other species has become a familiar phenomenon, and the need for a more proactive approach to minimise exposure to and opportunities for spill-over is widely recognised.”
“The impact of COVID-19, together with other shocks such as locusts, fall armyworm and climate change, suggests the need for policymakers to be agile in their responses to multi-layered crises. The era of heightened uncertainty, volatility and complexity resulting from these multiple crises, with COVID-19 being a key turning point, calls for a fundamental change to the governance and architecture of sub-Saharan Africa’s food systems.”
“Endemic corruption, weak state-society relations, and the stubborn legacies of the colonial project in the region has left a number of SADC member states with fragile, unaccountable and inefficient governance systems, which proved incapable of responding effectively to COVID-19.”
“Although agriculture has been less severely affected by COVID-19 than other sectors, the pandemic has nevertheless exposed challenges in SADC agro value chains and highlighted areas for improvement.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored global dependence on the Internet. In the face of travel restrictions and lockdowns, social media has emerged as a crucial factor in the maintenance of personal relationships, working environments and day-to-day activities.”
“Donor assistance and governmental efforts should not be confined to controlling COVID-19 and reinforcing the first line of defence (preparedness), but should equally extend to the second line of defence (strengthening healthcare systems and securing sustainable funding arrangements).”
“Pre-pandemic economic challenges, such as limited fiscal space, high debt levels and inflation, have also contributed to countries’ weak economic responses. External financing has been crucial for LICs’ ability to respond to the pandemic, but, is still inadequate given the huge financial gap that exists.”
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