THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS: A STUDY OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ACTIONS TOWARDS COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

This study explored the role of international organizations, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization (WHO), action towards the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The objectives are to examine the specific contributions of the World Health Organization WHO to Nigeria’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the provision of resources, technical expertise and policy support and the challenges that was encountered by international organizations in delivering effective assistance during health crisis in Nigeria, such as logistical issues, coordination gaps and local implementation barriers. It adopted Institutional theory, propounded by John W. Meyer and Brian Rowan. An Ex post Facto research design was used for this study, using a qualitative method which is beaded on content analysis which helps to review textual data to identify patterns and relationships, it’s anchored on documentary method of data collection with secondary data collected from credible sources including WHO and NCDC reports, academic journals, and media publications. The study finds that the WHO significantly aided Nigeria’s pandemic response through material, technical, and strategic support. The study also found that while the WHO’s involvement was critical, Nigeria’s pandemic response could benefit from stronger health infrastructure, improved coordination, and enhanced local capacity. The study recommends steps which includes increased investment in health systems, development of coordinated response frameworks, it also recommends more community engagement to improve public compliance and resilience in future public health crises.