The impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain of wheat bread in Nigeria

No pandemic has hit the modern world as much as the COVID-19 pandemic has. For a developing country like Nigeria, its effects have rippled through every section of human life and have even caused irreparable demand in some sections. The research focused on how a basic household commodity like wheat bread and how its supply chain has been affected by the pandemic. Wheat, which is the basic raw material for bread is largely imported from temperate countries. This research addressed questions with regards to three aspects of the economics of the wheat bread market which is a national staple: demand, supply, and price. These questions are: what is the effect of the COVID19 pandemic on the price of wheat bread in Nigeria? What is the effect of the COVID19 pandemic on the supply of wheat bread in Nigeria? What is the effect of the COVID19 pandemic on the demand for wheat bread in Nigeria? To answer these questions, a well-structured questionnaire using the Likert scale model was presented using the online Google form platform. The three Nigeria states of Lagos, Abuja and Plateau were used as study areas knowing they were most affected by the restrictions put in place by the Government of Nigeria (GON). These states provided 161 respondents across several locations. Using multiple regression to analyse the data, the results show that the economics of demand, supply and price of wheat demand were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, current and future policy considerations for any form of lockdown must have a tripartite outlook as regards demand, supply and price without neglecting any of the three aspects. The research can help the GON better position its policies to address the economics of a basic household commodity like wheat bread, given that the pandemic is still ongoing