







































Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

57 

 

POST COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS AND ECONOMIC 

CRISIS IN NIGERIA: IMPERATIVES FOR 

‘THEATREPOWERMENT’ 

 

Umenyilorah, Uzodinma Chukwukelue  
Department of Theatre and Media Arts,  

Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State 

chukwukelue.umenyilorah@fuoye.edu.ng  

  

Abstract 

The year 2020 ushered in reports of coronavirus ravaging China, 

and consequently, grounding their economy, various countries shut 

their borders to curtail the spread as a preventive measure and 

Nigeria also followed suit by imposing an emergency lockdown 

which affected all economic activities. The economic impact has 

affected Nigerians, as they complained of untold hardship, hunger 

and strife, increase in crime rate, violence, rape, robbery, and 

kidnapping among others and this has motivated this study. Despite 

various support from government and non-governmental funding 

organisations, Nigeria still witnesses low economic growth. The 

study, therefore, investigates the effect of Covid-19 on Nigeria's 

economy and seeks to determine how theatre facilitates and 

provides socio-economic support in Nigeria using 

‘Theatrepowerment’. The study adopts a qualitative research 

method through interviews and observation by participation, to 

assess the effect of Covid-19 on Nigeria’s economy. The study 

finds out that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact 

on the economy of Nigeria which has resulted in considerable 

disruptions in supply chains, the loss of jobs, and a reduction in 

income, among others. The study among other things advocates 

‘Theatrepowerment’, for socio-economic change in contemporary 

theatre practice. 

Keywords: Theatrepowerment, Coronavirus, Recession. 

mailto:chukwukelue.umenyilorah@fuoye.edu.ng


AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

58 

 

Introduction 

The pandemic of COVID-19 has had a huge influence on the world 

economy, with numerous nations enduring recession and economic 

disaster. One of Africa's greatest economies, Nigeria, has been 

severely impacted by the pandemic, which has resulted in high 

inflation, job losses, and a steep fall in revenue. Okeowo 

emphasises that: 

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the Nigerian 

economy, which was already struggling with a range of 

structural and systemic issues before the pandemic hit. The 

pandemic has resulted in the loss of jobs, income, and 

livelihoods for millions of Nigerians. The impact of the 

pandemic has been felt across different sectors, including 

healthcare, education, transport, and tourism (31). 

The decline in the price of oil, which has traditionally been 

Nigeria's primary source of export money, has made an already 

difficult situation for the country's economy considerably worse. 

As a direct consequence of this, the revenue of the country has 

significantly decreased, and the government is having a hard time 

meeting its financial obligations. Other structural and systemic 

difficulties, such as poor infrastructure, weak institutions, and 

inadequate social services, contribute to Nigeria's already difficult 

economic situation and make it much more difficult to address. 

Adeojo notes that “almost forty per cent of the population of 

Nigeria lives in conditions that are considered to be poor” (211), 

giving Nigeria one of the highest poverty rates in the world. 

Moreover, the nation has one of the highest unemployment rates in 

the world, with more than 33 per cent of the population being 

unemployed or underemployed at any given time. 

The informal sector, which is responsible for employing a 

sizeable share of Nigeria's labour force, has also been impacted 

negatively by the pandemic. The pandemic has had a particularly 

devastating effect on the informal economy, causing the closure of 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

59 

 

a large number of companies, which has resulted in a loss of both 

jobs and income. The epidemic has also contributed to a drop in 

tourism, which has had a significant negative effect not only on the 

hospitality business but also on the economy as a whole. Imhonopi 

explicates that: 

Covid-19 has impacted the informal economy, which 

produces a large part of Nigeria's economic drive. The 

pandemic has closed many informal companies, causing 

job and income losses. Tourism has dropped 

dramatically because of the pandemic, weakening the 

hospitality industry and economy. (55) 

To lessen the impact that the epidemic will have on the 

economy, the government of Nigeria has implemented several 

different policies, such as fiscal and monetary policy initiatives. 

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) play an essential role 

in the economy of Nigeria; as a result, the government has enacted 

fiscal stimulus packages to lend assistance to these businesses. Via 

several social safety programs, the government has also offered 

financial assistance to households that were previously considered 

vulnerable. 

The increasing rate of hunger, strife, lack of even 

distribution of palliatives, robbery and famine is another impact of 

Covid-19 on the economy. The situation is worse in the slums and 

ghettoes whereby, social connectedness is the currency that 

nurtures the much-needed resilience/succour for communities to 

persevere in the face of crisis, as isolation, social distancing and 

quarantine are enforced, thus breaking this social cohesion. Suffice 

to say it that, the federal and state government provided palliatives: 

food, clothing, and cash gifts to citizens, but the majority of the 

masses didn’t benefit hence, they resort to self-help, through all 

available sinister means. A casing point is the fact that, during the 

lockdown, some random group called one million boys are 

operating in groups, to rob citizens and dispossess them of their 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

60 

 

valuables in Lagos, Ogun and Ibadan. This is happening, just as the 

IMF on 14th April, warned the global community to brace for tough 

times ahead due to the recession. Ozili notes that: 

The crisis presents a very serious threat to the stability of 

the global financial system. Following the COVID-19 

Outbreak, financial conditions tightened at an 

unprecedented speed…. The world economy will shrink by 

3% rather than expand by 3.3% as thought back in January. 

(11) 

The pandemic has also had a substantial negative impact on the 

tourism industry in Nigeria, which is a significant contributor to the 

country's economy. The closing of international borders and the 

imposition of migration restrictions has led to a decline in tourism, 

which in turn has led to a loss of revenue and employment 

opportunities. 

Assessing the Impact of Covid-19 on Nigeria’s Economy 

In Nigeria, the Recession is not new, in 2016, Nigeria 

witnessed an economic recession, and the monetary authority in 

Nigeria aided the local currency from forced devaluation against 

the dollar and adopted a managed float foreign exchange system, 

which worked well from 2016 to 2019. However, the looming 

recession is more dangerous than the previous ones, because the 

developed countries that ought to aid Nigeria, cannot participate in 

economic activities as well, for fear of contracting the virus and 

secondly, their economy is also affected negatively. According to 

Ozili: 

The Covid-19 pandemic affected the global economy in 

two ways. One, the spread of the virus encouraged social 

distancing which led to the shutdown of financial markets, 

corporate offices, businesses and events. Two, the rate at 

which the virus was spreading, and the heightened 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

61 

 

uncertainty about how bad the situation could get, led to 

flight to safety in consumption and investment among 

consumers and investors…There was a consensus among 

top economists that the coronavirus pandemic would 

plunge the world into a global recession.3 Top IMF 

economists such as Gita Gopinath and Kristalina Georgieva 

stated that the Covid-19 pandemic would trigger a global 

recession. (7) 

From Ozili’s view, the global economy is shrinking and 

many investors have reduced labour hire, declined in business 

activities, and brought about a reduction in the income, tax and IGR 

capacity of their countries. Thus, many countries like the United 

States, Canada, Australia, Italy, Nigeria etc reviewed and slashed 

their budget, while some other countries had to obtain loans to 

support their budget. Some states have also reviewed and slashed 

their budget in line with the new socio-economic realities and 

consequently, many companies had to retrench their workforce. 

According to Aljazeera.com, over 44.2 million workforce were 

terminated as of July in the United States, as a result of the receding 

economic crisis of the companies. 

With these developments, coupled with the huge debt 

profile of Nigeria, gross embezzlement and mismanagement of 

funds, it is obvious that, the socio-economy of Nigeria and indeed 

the world at large is gradually dwindling, there is a looming 

disaster as the society may witness a spike in the volume of 

atrocities: Hooliganism, Thuggery, Violence against women and 

girls, Robbery, Kidnapping, Armed insurrection, Insurgency, 

Militancy, etc. There is, therefore, a need for the Nigerian 

government to bell the cat, by engaging in proactive measures that 

could avert the looming disaster, through a public-private 

partnerships, investment in the entertainment industry, 

entrepreneurial skills and youth empowerment. This is because, 

any government that must witness socio-economic stability, must 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

62 

 

give credence to the youth, because of their innovation, creativity, 

vigour, commitment, hard work and team spirit. As the nation 

continues to deal with the economic repercussions of the epidemic, 

it is vital to seek out innovative ways to foster economic recovery 

and expansion. This essay examines the role of theatre in 

motivating individuals and communities to overcome the 

pandemic's economic concerns. Using the unique power of 

‘theatrepowerment’, Nigeria may promote entrepreneurship, job 

creation, and economic development, leading to a brighter future 

for its population. 

Imperatives for Theatrepowerment in Nigeria 

Theatrepowerment is a coinage of two words- Theatre and 

Empowerment. It denotes the empowerment avenues or initiatives 

within the praxis and practice of Theatre, that can salvage the 

situation, hence government, multinational organisations, and 

stakeholders should explore this avenue, to quickly recover the 

economy from the shackles of recession. 

Olusola emphasises that “Theatrepowerment is the ability 

of theatre to empower individuals and communities by providing a 

platform for creative expression, promoting social change, and 

fostering personal growth and development” (3). Through 

'theatrepowerment', a person's capacity for self-expression, 

creative endeavour, and overall development can all be enhanced 

through participation in theatrical activities. The theatrical 

profession provides employment opportunities for performers, 

directors, authors, technicians, designers, and stagehands, among 

others. These jobs contribute to the entire economy by providing 

individuals and families with work opportunities and revenue 

earnings. 

There is no gainsaying the fact that there are numerous 

outlets/avenues for empowerment in the arts and theatre industry, 

a mastery of these skills/vocations will create self-sufficiency and 

cushion the harsh economic conditions of Nigerians during and 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

63 

 

after the coronavirus pandemic. These avenues include but are not 

limited to Makeup design, Costume design, Photography, 

Filmmaking, Comedy skits, Music, Acting, Directing, Dance, 

Painting etc 

 

Make-up Design: Beyond decorative functionality, make-up is an 

art that gives smoothness and glamour to the appearance of a 

person. This skill is relatively cheap to acquire and beyond film 

production and theatrical performances, it’s one of the most 

lucrative jobs for youths, virtually all birthday photoshoots require 

the services of a make-up artist. Weddings, burials, and naming 

ceremonies are filled with different make-up artists, who make up 

a guest at a token. Even more profitable is the new trend of making 

headgear (Gele), as a special brand, with different designs and 

shapes to reflect the creativity of the artist. 

 

Photography: According to Wikipedia.com, Photography is the 

art, application and practice of creating durable images by 

recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either 

electronically utilizing an image sensor. In the past, it used to be a 

job for illiterates and dropouts, nowadays, it is one of the lucrative 

professions whose services are essentially required in society. With 

the innovation of digital cameras and HD lenses, people are now 

turning to studio shoots for different celebrations, while they are 

specially hired to cover events/programmes, they are specially paid 

for this on-express delivery. Some photographers take different 

shots of guests unannounced, edit and print them without the 

guest’s consent, and then bring it for the guest to pay, the guest who 

sees a more glamorous picture of himself/herself will not refuse 

this offer, because more often than not, pictures speak memories 

and memories are part of our lives. (thanks to innovation in ICT 

and technology). 

 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

64 

 

Filmmaking: Nollywood is becoming a global brand, after being 

ranked the second largest film producer in the world in terms of 

quantity, after Bollywood (India Film Industry). It provides close 

to 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing to the GDP of the 

Nigerian economy. This is because, for a movie production to 

happen, different services will be needed, directors, actors, location 

managers, scriptwriters, editors, continuity managers, cameramen, 

lighting designers, set managers, props managers, make-up 

designers, costume designers, etc. During this pandemic, when all 

other sectors were declining in IGR, the entertainment and 

telecommunications industry was blossoming, Netflix witnessed a 

surge from its previous value and increased to about 50 million$, 

because people were bored at home and only movies could brighten 

their day. This infers that, if the government can concentrate on the 

entertainment industry more, there will be an increase in the 

economy of Nigeria.  

 

Tie and Dye: This is an aspect of technical theatre that deals with 

the tying of fabrics to produce different patterns and designs. This 

aspect remains unexplored in the art and creative industry, the local 

production of these materials and fabrics can sustain the economy 

if imported, beyond the shores of Nigeria. The prospect lies in the 

fact that it can be applied to English wears, trousers and shorts, to 

exhibit creativity and aesthetics, should the youths be empowered 

in this dimension, there is no doubt they will create more 

employment opportunities and propagate these skills. 

 

Comedy: While the world was at a standstill, and the harsh realities 

were gripping the global space, Nigerians were dominating Twitter 

space, blogs and Instagram, creating comic skits to relieve the 

people, some groups and persons gained prominence and increase 

the number of followers, due to the content of comedy, Taoma, Mr 

Macaroni, Cute Abiola among others are typical examples. By 

creating short dramatic skits and uploading them on youtube, 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

65 

 

Nigerians could start earning from these skits, (of course, the 

content must be original, creative and hilarious) as soon as their 

viewership increases. 

 

Music: This is one of the lucrative avenues of theatrical 

performance, countless dropouts have changed the fortune of their 

families and carved a niche for themselves through music. While 

numerous concerts are held outside Nigeria by Nigerian artists to 

entertain their fans across the globe during the lockdown, these 

musical artists started streaming live concerts, live Instagram, 

featuring other artists and increasing their income. If the Nigerian 

government can empower the youth to look towards these avenues, 

the current GDP will also increase. Some successful Nigerian 

musical artists include Joeboy, Burna Boy, Don Jazzy, P-Square, 

Tuface Idibia, Tiwa Savage, P Square, Korede Bello, Reekado 

Banks, Whizkid, and Davido. 

 

Painting: This is an aspect of technical theatre. In times past, 

painting used to be a mere decoration on the wall to represent 

colour, but nowadays, painting is now a form of communication 

and expression. Different paints are now used to show creativity in 

films, backgrounds, wallpaper, houses and offices. During the 

pandemic, pictures of painting about restoring mother nature and 

humanity were appreciated and handsomely paid for. If the 

government can empower the youths with the right materials, this 

art can be exhibited and auctioned even in the global community. 

Dance: This is the act of creating and expressing one's feelings, 

through one’s body, in a rhythmic way. According to Wikipedia, 

Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected 

sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and 

symbolic value and is acknowledged as dance by performers and 

observers within a particular culture. This is a lucrative avenue, 

whereby people pay heavily for dancers to come and entertain 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

66 

 

them, even on social media/applications like Zoom. Despite the 

lockdown, dance training sessions were going on and different 

people have to pay to subscribe to dance classes online, because 

more often than not, dance is beyond mere expression, it is a way 

of life of a people. Segun Adefila, Bakare Ojo Rasaki, Kaffy, and 

Poco Lee are some of the people that have carved a niche for 

themselves in this field. 

 

Acting: This is the most popular aspect of the make-believe 

profession, it involves the representation, the reenactment, and the 

imitation of a role in line with the demands of the director. Most 

people aspire for fame and a name in acting, but the stiff 

competition of who is who, soon chokes them and thus, they may 

resort to chasing roles through all means possible like sex, money, 

bribery or diabolic means. Some successful actors in Nigeria 

include, but not limited to: Toyin Oshinaike, Olu Jacobs, Joke 

Silva-Jacobs, Omotola Jalade, Genevieve Nnaji, Segun Arinze, 

Omoni Oboli, Funke Akindele, Jim Iyke, Ramsey Noah, Mercy 

Johnson, Olu Jacobs, Hilda Dokubo, Odunlade Adekola to mention 

a few. Several of them have featured and produced international 

films. We have Genevieve Nnaji who has graced the legendary 

Oprah Winfrey Show, and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde (United 

Nations Goodwill Ambassador). Etc. 

 

Theatre Troupe: This is the organisation and management of 

performances by a group of people, for entertainment/education. 

The National Troupe of Nigeria has represented Nigeria in foreign 

competitions and promoted our cultural heritage, however, 

Nigerian youths can key into this and explore it for economic 

growth, one could run a series of shows/performances in one night 

and the income alone can sustain more than 10 families. There are 

some successful private theatre troupes like the Jos Repertory 

Theatre, Ado Repertory Theatre in Ado Ekiti, Ankara and black 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

67 

 

playhouse in Lagos, Bolanle Austene-Peters production in Lagos, 

Renegade Theatre in Lagos, Crown Troupe of Lagos, etc. 

 

Directing: This is the art of coordinating all the dimensions of 

production to achieve a successful performance or film/music 

production. There are two dimensions to production, one is the 

artistic: which involves the performers, the scripts, music, 

characters etc while the other is technical: the light, set manager, 

location, continuity, sound cues, editing, props manager, etc. The 

job of the director is to harmonise these two creatively and create 

a performance/film/music for the audience’s interest. There are 

many successful theatre, musical and film directors, who are multi-

millionaires today, among which we find, but not limited to Tunde 

Kelani, Clearance Peters, Tade Ogidan, Bakare Rasaki, Ahmed 

Yerima, Kunle Afolayan, Anthony Onah, Chico Ejiro, Toyin 

Abraham, Kemi Adetiba, Sam Dede, etc. 

 

Costume Design: Beyond wearing mere garments, a costume is an 

essential tool for communication, and Nigerians have taken the 

fashion space to a global level by showcasing exquisite designs, a 

mixture of materials from silk and cotton, many reputable fashion 

houses have emerged, and some top Nigerian celebrities are 

fashion ambassadors and brands. The Aso Ebi culture is still in 

vogue and the more creative a costume designer is, the greater the 

demand for his/her services. Folake Coker, Yemi Osunkoya, 

Oshodi Frank etc are among the successful costume designers we 

have in Nigeria today. 

 

Suffice it to say, government alone cannot help the plight of the 

ailing economy, there is a need for commitment, transparency, 

discipline, accountability, and passion on the part of the 

government, while there is a need for the youths to also learn 

marketing skills, branding and packaging, innovation, creativity, 

competency, proficiency, efficient human and resources 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

68 

 

management so that these efforts will not go down the drain. While 

the nation is still battling with the post-pandemic era, there is a need 

for extensive measures to be taken to reduce person-to-person 

transmission of COVID-19. Special attention and efforts to protect 

or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations 

including children, health care providers and elderly people. 

 

Conclusion 

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a substantial impact on the 

economy of Nigeria, worsening the economic issues that were 

previously present in the country. The pandemic has affected 

several different areas of the economy, which has resulted in 

considerable disruptions in supply chains, the loss of jobs, and a 

reduction in income. Although the government of Nigeria has 

already taken several steps to reduce the negative effects of the 

epidemic on the economy, there are still other steps that need to be 

taken to stimulate economic recovery and growth in the country, 

one such is to deploy 'Theatrepowerment' avenues to revive the 

ailing economy. 

 

‘Theatrepowerment’ can provide individuals with possibilities to 

earn a living and enhance their economic well-being. Theatrical 

productions necessitate a variety of skills and abilities, including 

acting, directing, costume design, and stage management. By 

giving training in these talents and opportunities to work in the 

theatre, it is possible to create jobs and produce revenue. This can 

be especially significant in regions with high unemployment or few 

other economic options. 

 

Furthermore, theatrepowerment’ can attract tourists and visitors to 

towns and regions, hence generating economic benefits for local 

businesses and communities. Theatrical festivals shows, and 

performances can contribute to the expansion of the tourism 

industry by attracting international visitors. Furthermore, through 



Umenyiliora: Post Covid-19 Coronavirus And Economic crisis in Nigeria: Imperatives For… 

69 

 

education and training, ‘Theatrepowerment’ also provides 

individuals with useful skills and knowledge applicable to a variety 

of businesses, such as marketing, public relations, and event 

management, among others. Because theatre is a component of the 

creative industries, which also include film, television, music, and 

other art and entertainment disciplines, these industries contribute 

significantly to the economy through ticket sales, item sales, 

license fees, and other routes. 

 

The study, therefore, advocates that any post-COVID-19 economic 

recovery strategy will need to re-prioritise the conditions necessary 

for the rehabilitation of health systems, the creation of culturally 

sensitive protection and community, peace and cohesion. The 

government should also embrace building measures that integrate, 

the recovery of lost livelihoods as well as setting an agenda, for a 

quick return to a path of economic growth, recovery and stability 

through human capital development, and the arts & entertainment 

industry offers such privilege. Interventions funds should be put to 

judicious use by political office holders and privileged 

entrepreneurs in the society should aid government efforts by 

sacrificing a token, from their material and financial reserves. 

 

WORKS CITED 

Ahmad, Saheed, Hafeez, Siddqui, Ahmad, et al. “Review of 

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) Diagnosis, 

Treatments and Prevention”. EJMO: Euroasian Journal of 

Medicine and Ontology, Vol4, No 2, 2020, Pp 116–125. 

“Coronavirus: Which Countries Have Confirmed Cases?”. 

Aljazeera.com. Accessed Aug 1, 2020. 

Nwachukwu, Owen. “COVID-19: FG Fumes as Nigerians Shun 

Face Masks, Social Distancing.”. Guardian 

Newspapers,05/05/2020. 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies 

70 

 

Ozili, Peterson. “Covid-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: The 

Nigerian Experience and StructuralCauses.” Research Gate: 

SSRN Electronic Journal. Retrieved from 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340439471. 2020. 

The day of retrieval is missing 

Financial Times: Global Recession already here, say top 

Economists. https://www.ft.com/content/be732afe-6526- 

11ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68. 

Okeowo, Arisekola. “The dynamics of population and economic 

growth in Nigeria." Journal of Economics and Development 

Studies. Vol 5.3, 2017. Pp 79-86. 

Adeojo, Opeyemi. "Urbanization processes and child breadwinner 

in Lagos Metropolis." Journal of Culture, Society and 

Development. vol 2, no 7, 2017. pp 30-40. 

Imhonopi, David. “Maternal mortality and maternal health care in 

Nigeria: Implications for socio-economic development”. 

Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 7, no. 5, 2020. Pp 

49-60 

 

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340439471.%202020
https://www.ft.com/content/be732afe-6526-%2011ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68
https://www.ft.com/content/be732afe-6526-%2011ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68

