Social work undergraduates students and COVID-19 experiences in Nigeria

Following the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus disease and the increase in confirmed cases, the Nigerian government, imposed lockdowns, quarantines, and various social distancing measures to curb the rate of infection. Schools were closed, and examinations were postponed indefinitely. Students of private schools were able to resume academic activities online. However, most public schools could not do so, due to lack of infrastructure. This study aimed to qualitatively investigate the impacts of the novel coronavirus on final-year students of social work, at the University of Nigeria. Data was collected from 20 undergraduates using in-depth interviews. Findings showed that the pandemic had negative effects on different aspects of the students’ lives. It was also revealed that some of the students were resilient and were able to use various coping strategies to avoid being overwhelmed by the situation. A policy implication of this study is the need for revitalization of Nigerian public universities, as the continued lockdown of schools shows how public universities are poorly managed in the country. This poor management of public schools has made it impossible for a switch to virtual learning. © The Author(s) 2021.