The Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) produced enormous impact on
work and family across every sector of life. In order to contain the spread of
the disease which occurred with great rapidity, both workplaces and families
were globally forced to shut down from public engagement. Lagos, being the epicenter
of the disease in Nigeria, was more hit by the impact of the pandemic, amidst
great fears and anxiety, in spite of the busy nature of socio-economic life in
the mega city. This study explored couples’ experiences and coping strategies
as they negotiated the “emergency normal” that confronted them during the first
three months of the lockdown. Using interpretive approach, In-depth Interviews
were conducted with ten (10) couples, comprising five (5) males and 5 females,
with marriage life ranging between four (4) to ten years and drawn from across
various occupational sectors of the Nigerian society. We investigated couples’
experience of the lockdown using a tripod of
approaches: pre-COVID-19 lockdown, COVID-19 lockdown and the futuristic
approach of the post-COVID-19 period, all based on couples’ experiences. We
found that work-life integration, desirable as it is, seemed difficult to
practice in Lagos. Beyond the conventional work-life integration (WLI)
approaches to and strategies for WLI, there is need to develop more practicable
frameworks that can enhance WLI practice, based on the peculiar situation of
married couples in Lagos, Nigeria.
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