COVID 19: FLATTENING THE CURVE IN NIGERIA THROUGH SOCIAL MARKETING

Covid 19 is currently a major global health challenge that had led to the death of millions of people and have placed severe social, emotional and economic burden on people and there is currently no cure for virus while Vaccine are just emerging. Therefore, prevention through observing the non-pharmaceutical safety guidelines remains the best approach to fight the virus. Nigeria is among the countries with high cases of Covid 19 in Africa yet many Nigerians are not complying with the safety protocols despite several enlightenment efforts by the Government. Thus, there is a need for more viable behaviour change strategy. This paper examines the how Social Marketing can be used to encourage Nigerians adopt Covid 19 safety guidelines. The paper is anchored on Social Exchange Theory. The research design used is the critical literature research. It provides practical insights on how marketing mix, comprising 5Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion and Policy) could be applied in addressing the rising cases of Covid 19 in the country. The paper concludes that, rather than depending on politicians and medical personnel in the fight against the pandemic, experts in social marketing should be engaged in the designing and implementation