Problems and Prospects of Social Welfare Administration in Nigeria: A Study of the Covid-19 Response Strategies in Enugu State

Ndema, Samuel Chukwuma (2022) Problems and Prospects of Social Welfare Administration in Nigeria: A Study of the Covid-19 Response Strategies in Enugu State. International Journal of Management Sciences, 9 (6). pp. 17-38. ISSN 2360-9944

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Abstract

Over the years, social welfare administration has been a major challenge for developing countries especially Nigeria. Successive governments have accordingly made efforts to address social welfare issues in Nigeria. However, despite these laudable measures to address the socio-economic hardship occasioned by COVID-19, the present socio-economic well-being of the citizens is seemingly poor. Regrettably, Nigerians are seen on daily basis lament the hardship they are facing in the light of COVID-19 pandemic. It was against the foregoing that the study examined problems and prospects of social welfare administration in Nigeria with focus on the covid-19 response strategies in Enugu State. The study aimed to ascertain the effects of federal government cash disbursement and food items on reduction of poverty rate occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria; investigate the contributions of Federal Government’s intervention funds towards improving the healthcare facilities for people in the face of corona virus pandemic in Nigeria; and determine the effects of politicization of distribution of social welfare administration relief materials on economic revival of the needy and vulnerable following the outbreak of corona virus pandemic in Nigeria. Content analysis design was adopted to review secondary data. Findings revealed that Administration of welfare packages is not transparent and efficient in Nigeria; hence target beneficiaries are often skipped. Welfare administration is politicized in such a way that party affiliation is taken into consideration in the distribution of palliative measures. Another dimension to the problem of social welfare administration in Nigeria is the practice hoarding of relief materials meant for the people by the stakeholders in government circle. These corrupt and criminal acts undermine efforts at improving the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people. Hence, the study recommended that: Disbursement of cash or cash transfers and distribution of food items as social welfare response measures should be efficiently monitored to make sure that the target beneficiaries are reached; there is urgent need to improve healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria; and in order to achieve result from government’s social welfare administration, stakeholders in the business of aid administration must shun all manner of corrupt practices and politicization of welfare programmes.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Management and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	mrs chioma hannah
Date Deposited:	05 Jul 2022 12:04
Last Modified:	05 Jul 2022 12:04
URI:	http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/3534

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