Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery: Practical Solution to Transit from Pandemic to Prosperity in Southwestern Nigeria

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the latest global emergencies affecting all countries as it relates to health hazards, human consequences, economic uncertainties and disruptions that have resulted in significant cost to the global economy. To return to normal, actions requiring immediate and
sustained collective local and international efforts are needed to curtail its effect on all fronts. It is currently unclear to what extent this virus will take hold of interruptions in health, human, educational, political and ultimately socio-economic toll. The subject of the performance of economy after COVID-19 has raised debates in various field and discipline. Many factors in spoken and written words have been identified by extant literature that may be responsible for the poor performance of economic recovery in mostly the developing countries, Nigeria inclusive. These economic recoveries aimed at ensuring economic diversification and reflation strategies, SME development and survival concepts, innovation, science and technology, self-sustaining food production and poverty reduction. The pandemic as no doubt cause a serious economic slowdown that can threaten the lives and livelihoods of most vulnerable people in southwestern Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that this article tends to launch a sustainable economic recovery using Agriculture and Food Security as a viable practical solution to transit from pandemic to economic prosperity in southwestern states. The article employed descriptive survey research design using Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Osun state as clusters out of the present six states in the zone. Also, primary (observation) and secondary (GDP per Capital, Shared Spending and Nigerian Economic Growth) data were collected with focus on qualitative analysis. The article was concluded by offering economic managers and policymakers set priorities to alternative sector such as agriculture and food security which must be intensified as reliable practical solutions to transit from pandemic to prosperity. These were with a view to creating a future with great and strong economy and provide means of survival to the people through provision of direct and indirect agriculture related employment.

Keywords: COVID-19, Economic Growth, Gross Domestic Product, Agriculture and Food Security