‘Down But Not Out’: Responses of the Church in Mitigating the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown in South-West of Nigeria

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has overwhelmed many States, including the superpowers. It has also demonstrated that the inclusion of non-state actors in national development is inevitable. This study analyses the response of the Church in mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19 in South-west Nigeria. With the adoption of qualitative research methodology, the study relied on both primary and secondary sources which include participant and non-participant observations, fieldwork and interviews. The interviews were subjected to content analysis. The interviews were held among members, beneficiaries and heads of some selected Pentecostal and Mainland Church parishes. These parishes included those of the Catholic Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Victory Life Bible Church (VLBC), Baptist Church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and Chapel of Christ Our Light University of Lagos, which are situated in Lagos and Ogun States. The study found that policies taken by the Government to curtail the spread of the pandemic had an enormous economic impact on its citizenry and the civil societies at large. This study concluded that these religious organisations like many other Civil Society organisations (CSOs) are partners in development and that effective national development is only achievable through the cooperative and communal efforts of all stakeholders: government and CSOs. It is recommended among other things that; the State should implement policies that will provide a conducive environment for many of these religious organisations and CSOs, in general, to thrive so that they can contribute to the overall progress of the nation as a whole.