State Power and Public Health: Noso-Politics and the Authoritarian Medicalization of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

From time immemorial, the outbreak of pandemics has been met with emergency safety measures to stop transmissions. The purpose of the study is to outline the relationship between state power and public health in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. Safety measures, justified by state powers as mechanisms to protect citizens, were sometimes enforced through coercive means. However, this paper critically examines the biopolitics of COVID-19 containment measures in Nigeria through the lens of Michel Foucault’s Noso-politics, highlighting the intersection of state authority and public health. The study employs a secondary research design, utilizing existing publications to develop its content. Additionally, the paper explores the centralized decision-making process of COVID-19 control strategies and the use of state force to ensure compliance. While these strategies were essential for safeguarding public health, the paper found that political elites exploited the Pandemic to strengthen social inequalities, resulting in widespread economic hardship and public discontent. It recommends a citizen-centred approach that reaches out to people with low incomes and neglected Nigerians in isolated parts of the country. Ultimately, the paper will contribute to the existing body of knowledge on health policy and human security in the country. Keywords: Public health, politics, COVID-19, Nigeria