#CovidCast: Covid-19 Uniting (Fragile) Communities amidst Security and Economic Realities

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected the security and the economy of Nigeria in a dramatic way. Unemployment has been on the increase, this is a reflection of the fragility of the national infrastructure. In this episode, Prince Charles Dickson, Ph.D. of Tattaunawa Roundtable Initiative explored what should be the common ground of the fragile communities. Despite a recession from 2014 to 2016, The World Bank asserts that Nigeria’s economy may be headed toward the worst financial state the country has seen in four decades. Nigeria is extremely dependent on oil, which represents more than 80% of the country’s exports. With international travel halted due to COVID-19, the country has recorded an 18-year low on fuel prices, at $22 per barrel.  The National Bureau of Statistics states that 42% of almost 2,000 citizens interviewed were out of work as a result of the pandemic With the existing ethnoreligious conflicts in the country, this conversation focuses on how polarized communities can embrace dialogue to ensure effective management of the health, security, and economic crises across the country.