ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON INFORMAL SECTOR IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA STATE)

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unparalleled health emergency with a plethora of horrific consequences. It has affected every aspect of social and corporate life globally, straining supply systems and nearly half of global economic activity. With a focus on the Sabon Gari Market Zaria, Kaduna State, this study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on the viability of small and micro entrepreneurial businesses in Nigeria's unofficial sector. The study examined how COVID-19 affected informal small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), the level of risk and vul-nerability, and how small and microbusinesses survived the pandemic. The study's data were gath-ered from 150 small and microbusiness owners in Sabon Gari Market's unofficial sector, chosen through a multi-stage, purposive, and random sampling process. Instruments for collecting prima-ry data were questionnaires. The study shows that small and medium-sized enterprises are suscep-tible to risk and that Covid-19 has a considerable impact on them as informal sector small and medium-sized business owners. Therefore, in order to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, the report suggests, among other things, that the government offer small and medium-sized businesses a safe-ty net in the form of zero-interest loans and other forms of government aid.