EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON INFORMAL SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF KATSINA STATE
Shehu Usman Mukhtar, Abdullahi Lawal Lala, Muhammad Aliyu Tanko and Muhammad Dahiru Nakazalle
Volume 2 Issue 2
Abstract
Hitherto, studies on the impact of health epidemics on informal sector have not gained important acknowledgement from researchers and policy makers alike. This study empirically examined the impact of covid-19 on informal sector in Katsina State with a particular reference to Katsina Local Government. The study used primary data elicited via structured questionnaires administered to 120 sampled informal sector operators in the study area. The study employed Binary Logistics regression models in which case lockdown and closures were used as proxy for covid-19 while informal sector sales volume and employment size were respectively used as dependent variables and proxy for informal sector. Findings of the study reveals that, covid-19 has statistically significant negative impact on informal sector employment size (p<0.05) and sales volume (p<0.05) for the adopted models respectively. It is in the wake of this, the study recommends that, the government should provide credit facilities, strengthened healthcare system and debt relief packages amongst others, as these would indubitably suppress the impact produced by the pandemic on informal sector businesses and parade the art of confidence in the realm Keywords: Informal Sector, Covid-19, Empirical, Employment and Sales Volume
Download Paper