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Do Remittances Mitigate COVID-19 Employment Shock on Food Insecurity? Evidence from Nigeria

Author

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  • Al Mouskit Akim
  • Firmin Ayivodji
  • Jeffrey Kouton

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to assess the mitigating role of remittances during the adverse COVID-19 employment shock on Nigeria¡¯s food insecurity. Based on pre-COVID-19 and postCOVID-19 surveys, we use a difference-in-difference approach while controlling for the time and household fixed effects. Results indicate that remittances are mitigating the negative consequences of COVID-19 employment shocks, especially in the short run. We find that 100% of the deterioration in food insecurity, owing to the shock, is offset by the remittances received. While the adverse effects of the shock persist over time, the mitigation effect of remittances appears to be effective only at the early stages of the pandemic, however. Furthermore, the mitigation effect of remittances seems heterogeneous regarding the origin of remittances, residence area, and poverty status. The mitigation effect of remittances is higher for remittances from abroad than for Domestic ones. We also find a higher mitigating effect of remittances in the rural area and for non-poor households. Finally, our results shed light on the capital channel as a crucial mechanism explaining the mitigation effect of remittances. Notably, findings suggest that formal financial inclusion, capital ownership like livestock or rental earnings, amplifies the attenuating effect of remittances.

Suggested Citation

  • Al Mouskit Akim & Firmin Ayivodji & Jeffrey Kouton, 2021. "Do Remittances Mitigate COVID-19 Employment Shock on Food Insecurity? Evidence from Nigeria," Working Papers 4, Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences.
    • Handle: RePEc:aof:wpaper:wp-0004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Domenella,Yanina Eliana & Jamison,Julian C & Safir,Abla & Zia,Bilal Husnain, 2021. "Can Business Grants Mitigate a Crisis ? Evidence from Youth Entrepreneurs in Kenya during COVID-19," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9874, The World Bank.
    3. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong & Emmanuel Nshakira-Rukundo & Bisrat Haile Gebrekidan, 2023. "COVID-19 and food insecurity in Africa: A review of the emerging empirical evidence," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(3), pages 853-878.
    4. Ana Paula Goerne Luna & Jaime Lara Lara & Luz Daniela Montañez Martínez & Regina Saracho Cueto & Alonso Torre De Silva & Iliana Michelle Zaldivar Galindo, 2023. "COVID-19 and remittances to Mexican states," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 33-39.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Remittances; Shock; Food Insecurity; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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