DEPTH OF GLOBAL POVERTY AND THE ECONOMY OF LOCKDOWN

The lockdown and partial closure of economic activities were crucial to stop the pandemic and save lives, but this carried with it risks beyond the economic effects to influence on the socio-economic life, especially among the poor communities. This study aims to identify different levels of challenges facing the poor communities during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and its related spillovers. Questionnaires and interviews are used together as a method of this study in three countries in parallel— Nigeria, Ghana, and Bahrain. The paper concludes with recommendations about appreciating the common depth of poverty characteristics across different countries with different level of poverty that the circumstances of lockdown exploited. The outcome of this work could be beneficial for governments and social welfare system planners who need to balance between best responses to emergency crisis without aggravating further the poverty level.