COVID-19 Lockdown and Social Distancing Policies and the Sustainability of Small Businesses in South-Eastern Nigeria

IF 0.9 4区社会学 Q3 POLITICAL SCIENCE

Politikon Pub Date : 2021-10-02 DOI:10.1080/02589346.2021.1991659

V. Iwuoha, Ernest Toochi Aniche

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores the experience of small business operators in South-Eastern Nigeria to underscore the sub-sectoral effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures on small businesses. Although COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing policies are generally perceived to have negative effects on small businesses, this study argues that these policies have had both positive and negative effects on small businesses. Clustering small businesses into three categories: fashion/event, food/drug and general merchandise, the study depicts a cross-sectoral disparity in the patronage level and income streams of small businesses. While the fashion/event businesses experience very low sales and poor performances, the food/drug businesses record high sales/improved performances, and the general merchandise maintains normal sales/performances. The study observes gaps in government’s COVID-19 intervention policies and initiatives (palliatives) on small businesses and proposes new policy directions to cushion the negative impact of lockdown measures and fast track the sustainability of small businesses in post-COVID-19 period.

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新冠肺炎封锁和社交距离政策与尼日利亚东南部小企业的可持续性

摘要本研究探讨了尼日利亚东南部小企业经营者的经验，以强调新冠肺炎封锁措施对小企业的子行业影响。尽管新冠肺炎封锁和保持社交距离政策通常被认为对小企业有负面影响，但本研究认为，这些政策对小企业既有正面影响，也有负面影响。该研究将小企业分为三类：时尚/活动、食品/药品和日用百货，描绘了小企业在赞助水平和收入流方面的跨部门差异。虽然时尚/活动业务的销售额非常低，业绩不佳，但食品/药品业务的销售额很高/业绩有所改善，日用百货保持正常的销售额/业绩。该研究观察了政府对小企业的新冠肺炎干预政策和举措（缓解措施）中的差距，并提出了新的政策方向，以缓解封锁措施的负面影响，并在新冠肺炎疫情后快速实现小企业的可持续性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Politikon POLITICAL SCIENCE-

CiteScore

1.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

32 weeks

期刊介绍： Politikon focuses primarily on South African politics, but not exclusively so. Over the years the journal has published articles by some of the world" leading political scientists, including Arend Lijphart, Samuel Huntingdon, and Philippe Schmitter. It has also featured important contributions from South Africa"s leading political philosophers, political scientists and international relations experts. It has proved an influential journal, particularly in debates over the merits of South Africa"s constitutional reforms (in 1983 and 1994). In the last few years special issues have focused on women and politics in South Africa, and the South African election of 1999.