Religion as a Factor in the Management of COVID-19 Pandemic in Ede, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) that broke out in Wuhan, China spreads by physical contact and proximity to infected persons or surfaces. To curb the spread in Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) introduced policies that restricted gathering of people, mandated the use of facemask and promoted vaccination. Considering the highly religious nature of Nigeria, this research investigated how religious worldview and practices impacted on the management of COVID-19 in Ede, Osun-State, Nigeria. It investigated how religious beliefs of people in Ede impacted their views regarding the existence, transmission, prevention, hazards of the disease and vaccination. It sought to gain insight on how they perceived government’s level of collaboration with religious organizations to fight COVID-19. This research adopted the quantitative approach. Pretested questionnaire was administered in the two Local Government Areas in Ede (Ede South and Ede North) using the convenience sampling approach and the data subsequently analyzed. The results showed that although most religious people were knowledgeable about COVID-19, they did not strictly abide by the policies set forth by government. Significant number denied the presence of the disease in Ede. This research established that there is no significant association between religion and their attitudes to COVID19. This article argued that the Nigerian government has not sufficiently leveraged on religious nature and structures of the society to fight COVD-19. It recommended that Government should rally social agencies like religious organizations for public awareness and alignment with global best practices in curbing COVID-19 diseases.