INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF OCCUPATION FOR INCOME GENERATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN IN BIDA-NIGERIA

Abstract

Absent of salary and allowances which is the main source of income of teachers in the private
secondary schools has made them to seek for alternative occupation for income generation during
COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The main objective of this study is to examine the association
between individual characteristics and alternative sources of occupation for income generation
among private secondary schools’ teachers during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Bida town,
Niger state-Nigeria. This study focused on private secondary schools tearchers who were not
collecting salary during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Survey research method was adopted
and the population of study is 100 teachers from sampled five (5) schools out of seven (7) private
secondary schools operating in Bida-town. Copies of 100 questionnaire instrument were
distributed to the teachers of the private secondary schools who were the respondents for data
collection. The result shows that gender has significant relationship with alternative sources of
occupation for income during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. However, marital status and
educational qualification have insignificant relationships with alternative sources of occupation
for income during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Thus, this study concludes that individual
characteristics has insignificant relationship with alternative sources of occupation for income
generation among private secondary schools’ teachers during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in
Bida, Niger State- Nigeria. The research recommends that female gender of private schools’
teachers should look for alternative sources of occupation that will generate them income apart
from teaching profession to guide against idle situation of sitting down at home like during
COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. This is because the number of female gender looking for
alternative sources of income are fewer than male counterpart.