Public Policy, Government Legitimacy, Covid-19 and Public Response: The Case of the Nigerian Government and Populace

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of human scientific and technological advancement. It reinforces the binarity that characterises the architecture of global system. While the pandemic grew in consequence, global response towards it was directly proportional to the threat, particularly from the West. Still, the pandemic unveiled the lacunae in public policy and administration, formulation and implementation with regards to issues of imminent public interest. Without being an exemption, the pandemic had considerable impact on Nigeria, hence the chapter examines the response of the Nigerian government to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. It treats the response through the lens of public policy and administration and governance. It equally addresses the question of how effective was the government policy and what was the corresponding response from the people and explores whether the corresponding relations demonstrate trust between the state and people, strengthen government’s legitimacy or widen the gap of understanding and trust. Lastly, the chapter concludes that effective public policy amidst crisis such as Covid-19, requires a strong coordination of the federal and state government and the civil society.