Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) has warned that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic would be more deadlier than the first wave that grounded the world economy, even as the Nigerian ports will witness shortfall of cargo import in the first and second quarters of the year.
Speaking with Daily Sun yesterday in an interview, SALS President, Rev Jonathan Nicol, said countries like China and the rest that Nigeria import from are been affected by the virus as most of them are on lockdown and shut factories.
According to him, there should be a kind of control because definitely, it would affect shipping. He said that Nigerian ports shouldn’t expect more goods in the second quarter of the year.
“There must be a major control of the deadly virus. America is recoding more cases everyday and Nigeria should be careful because when there is no life you don’t talk of business. We don’t feel the second wave as such like America and some other countries.
“Those countries have second wave, it would affect import most likely and lockdown, nobody will come out to go and clear goods in other countries ports. We really don’t know the effects of the second wave now. Although, we know it will be more deadlier than the first one,” he added. He said If Nigeria eventually has more of the effects of virus, the government will introduce lockdown and shippers’ would suggest that government should shut the ports because life is better than any other thing.
During the first wave of the COVID-19, he said people took maximum risk to go to the ports to clear some essential goods. He said but the second wave would just ravaging everybody in the countries. That would have more effect.
He urged maritime agencies at the ports to put preventive measures in place by asking their staff and workers to always wear their facemask and observe every other guidelines.
