Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sustenance of Service Providers: Commercial Motorcycle Transport Operators in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

The study was about the economic impact of covid-19 lockdown and the sustenance of commercial motorcycle operators in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to compare the economic position of respondents during the compulsory stay at home order relative to what it was before lockdown. The study was a descriptive survey where questionnaire administration and focus group discussions were employed in order to get necessary information that was used for this study. Results from the study had it that the commercial motorcycle operators made a living within their income earning capacity in their transport operations before the COVID-19 pandemic days. However, due to the lockdown their economic life had been greatly affected because income plunged to zero; this has consistently thrown them into poverty. It was observed that the longer the lockdown, the deeper they are submerged into further depth of poverty. Respondents already concluded that it is certain that some routine basic economic activities that they indulge in cannot resume as soon as the lockdown is eased. This study therefore recommends that government should see to how they can subsidize tuition fee payment for school children as soon as schools resume. This hopefully will minimize idleness which if not look into may lead to breeding social miscreants in the face of inability of parents to quickly raise tuition fees.