INFORMAL SECTOR AND POVERTY ERADICATION STRATEGIES IN THE NEW NORMAL OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out informal sector and poverty eradication strategies in the new normal of covid-19 pandemic in North-West, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population consisted of all the registered Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Kano the largest city in the zone, Kaduna, Zaria, Sokoto, Katsina, Gusau, Garki and Funtua. These were metropolitan/commercial cities in each State in the North-West, Nigeria. It was hypothesized that there was no significant difference in the responses of the respondent groups on the level of effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the informal sector in North-East Nigeria; there was no significant difference in the responses of the respondent groups on the strategies adopted for the eradication of poverty among informal sector workers in North-West Nigeria in the new normal COVID-19 pandemic; there was no significant difference in the responses of the respondent groups on the factors that militate against the effective application of the strategies adopted for poverty eradication among the informal sector workers in North-West Nigeria in the new normal COVID-19 pandemic. Mean, t-test and correlation analysis were used to analyze to the data. All the hypotheses were retained. It was recommended among others that the State governments in the region should set aside emergency fund targeting informal sector in the zone. And that deferment of taxes or waiver of taxes, lower interest rate could also be embarked on by the appropriate policy makers in the zone to make informal sector remain afloat in the new normal COVID-19 pandemic.