Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on critical social institutions in South-South Nigeria: During and post-pandemic perspectives

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on critical social institutions, with particular emphasis on the educational and family institutions in South-South, Nigeria. Guided by the Laboratory Leak Theory and the Accidental Laboratory Escape Theory, the study conceptualized COVID-19 as a globally generated crisis with far-reaching local consequences that expose institutional vulnerabilities in developing societies. A survey research design was adopted, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews, and analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on educational institutions at all levels. Prolonged school closures, inadequate digital infrastructure, and limited access to online learning led to learning loss, increased dropout rates, teacher attrition, and declining academic performance. The study also found that Nigeria’s education system was largely unprepared for a transition to virtual learning, thereby widening existing educational inequalities. Furthermore, the pandemic significantly affected family institutions by disrupting household income, livelihoods, and family relationships. Lockdown measures intensified unemployment, food insecurity, and economic hardship, while extended confinement heightened domestic stress and emotional strain within households. The study concludes that COVID-19 was not merely a health crisis but a systemic social shock that magnified existing inequalities and exposed institutional weaknesses. It recommends strengthening digital education infrastructure, expanding social protection systems, and improving crisis preparedness to enhance institutional resilience against future emergencies.