ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY: UPGRADING TRADITIONAL MARKETS AS A STRATEGY TO PROMOTE COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS OF, AND BEAT, COVID-19 HANDS-DOWN

• Published in: International journal of research - granthaalayah 2021-07, Vol.9 (6), p.341-348
• Main Authors: Anthony, Olajuyin Oyebanji, Sunday, Oluwadiya Kehinde, Busayo, Olajuyin Ademola, Ayotomiwa, Olajuyin Adebola, Ojo, Ogunboyo Femi, Simeon, Olatunya Oladele, Waheed, Adegbiji Atilade, Gabriel, Olajide Toye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2394-3629; 2350-0530
• DOI: 10.29121/granthaalayah.v9.i6.2021.4056

The traditional market has specific features, the impact of which may impede compliance with the Covid-19 safety protocols and make the market an of Covid-19 pandemic. This paper described compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols and the need to upgrade the traditional market into modern markets. The purpose is to draw the attention of the stakeholders to the need to upgrade the traditional markets so as to facilitate compliance with the Covid-19 safety protocols and eliminate resurgence of the pandemic. The study was a prospective, comparative analysis of compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols in the Traditional Markets and Modern Markets (MM) in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria. The results showed that the traditional markets were majorly the open-air types with propensity for overcrowding, clustering and long business hours. The compliance scores across all the Covid-19 safety protocols and especially physical distancing were very poor in the traditional markets compared with the modern markets. There is therefore the need to upgrade the traditional markets to modern markets with a view to facilitate compliance with the Covid-19 safety protocols and suppress resurgence of the pandemic in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.