The objective of this study is threefold: to investigate the performance of SMEs prior the cases of COVID-19 in Yobe State; to examine the performance of SMEs during COVID-19 in Yobe State; and to suggest measures for the resilience of the SMEs’ performance after the COVID-19 in Yobe State. The study adopted a survey research design and the sample size was 301 respondents which were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling (in which the State will be divided into three clusters, based on senatorial districts: Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C). Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select the sample. The instruments of data collection were questionnaire and one focus group discussion (FGD), thus mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) was employed to analyse the data for the questionnaire and the FGD, respectively. The study found out that COVID-19 has negatively affected the performance of SMEs in Yobe State. For example, many businesses have demised in Yobe State due to the closure of workplaces; many SMEs have stopped operating for many months. The study concluded that SMEs have been performing greatly and they were important to the Yobe State economy before COVID-19 in State Yobe, but the incidence of the COVID-19 has brought setback to the commercial activities in the State. COVID-19 affected the performance of SMEs through: closure of all firms, including SMEs due to total lockdown; SMEs owners also experienced distraction and widespread panic due to the epidemic; lack of raw materials because of less movement of goods and services during the pandemic. There was also the death of some owners of the SMEs especially the old ones, and expiration of some products due to lock down, and downfall of some merchants that operate SMEs in Yobe State. The study therefore recommended that: government and development partners should provide soft loans and free grants for affected indigenous SMEs to get resuscitated; deliberate effort at making the SMEs very strong to resist the ripple effect of the COVID-19; and save the SMEs from collapsing by operating during all forms of pandemics through online marketing.
COVID-19; Performance; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); Yobe State, Nigeria
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