Understanding Nigeria: A Political Economy Discussion On Pre- And Post-pandemic Nigeria  

The World Bank, in 2020, announced that the Nigerian economic may see a dip into recession, the worst the African country has seen in 40 years. This was largely due to the effects of the fall in the global price of oil, a commodity the nation's economy is heavily reliant on, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, that nearly crippled not just Nigeria’s, but the global economy.   But these challenges were not the only catalysts for Nigeria’s imminent recession, issues around insecurity, infrastructural deficit, trade barriers, and power supply challenges all form a crude mix that has managed to drive the country down this very path.   Since the election of the Buhari’s administration in 2015, a lot more focus has been placed on driving local content and boosting local production, particularly in the agriculture sector. This was also in line to make the Nigerian economy more self-sufficient and boost food security, focusing on staple foods like corn, rice, tomatoes, and cassava.  Also Read: Nigerian annual inflation soars to 12.1 per cent in January To this effect, the government also introduced executive orders, including the Executive Order 5, in 2018, which focused on propping up indigenous professionals and technical experts as the primary beneficiaries of public procurement