Abstract
Nigeria's local food economy was affected by state-imposed restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities. Street food vendors and consumers are among local food system actors impacted by such restrictions because their livelihood and food security are contingent on daily operations on the street. Informed by a descriptive qualitative approach, we interviewed 31 street food vendors and consumers who shared their experiences on how the lockdown impacted them. Vendors reported various impacts, including losing income, customers, customer trust, and social connection. Street food consumers reported difficulties meeting their food needs and developing multiple coping strategies, including cutting back on fruit and vegetable consumption and food sharing. Both vendors and consumers would like to see measures put in place to allow them to operate safely in a future lockdown event. This study is timely as the country strives to balance human and economic health amid the pandemic. Key words: Street food vendors and consumers, livelihood, food security, COVID-19, Nigeria.
Highlights
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact health, social and economic systems with devastating consequences on lives and livelihoods worldwide (UNDP, 2020)
Street food vendors contribute to local economies and the food security of low-income urban residents
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to food systems and food systems actors worldwide, including street food vendors and consumers in Nigeria
Summary
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact health, social and economic systems with devastating consequences on lives and livelihoods worldwide (UNDP, 2020). As our understanding of the pandemic's impact evolves, emerging reports from Africa predict adverse effects on food systems actors' livelihood and food security (Ayanlade and Radeny, 2020; Zougbede, 2020) – these include street food vendors and the urban poor that rely on them. As the pandemic progressed into different parts of Africa, countries introduced measures to curb the spread of the virus. These measures included restrictions on people’s movements, open market days, and business operations.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
