Mr. Obiora Vincent Obianodo, the young CEO OF YSG Global energy, a company with operations in the upstream and downstream sector of Nigeria's Oil and Gas industry that deals on trading and marketing of petroleum products, added a voice to pandemic affecting the world #covid-19. Obiora said that the unprecedented impacts and disruptions as a result of coronavirus known popularly as COVID-19 is affecting all economies and markets globally especially the transport sector, given a count that more than 185 countries have been affected, reporting cases globally, as of 4:44pm CEST, 24 June 2020, there have been 9,129,146 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 473,797 deaths, reported to WHO. With Africa recording about 234,548 confirm cases and Nigeria has now recorded 21,371 cases of COVID-19. 7,338 patients have been discharged from various Isolation centers across the country, while 533 deaths have been recorded.
Obiora Obianodo further said that this coronavirus seems unstoppable. The virus that originated from China not only has had a fatal impact on people’s lives but it is also threatening the entire transport world, as bans and border closures are being applied. One of the most important is that one of Nigeria, Since March 2020 till date, mobility is restricted throughout the country. Since then, many things have changed and will keep constantly changing because of the coronavirus and its effects on the transport industry.
The response by governments and organizations all over the world has suddenly impacted our way of life and that of the global transportation systems. The speed with which these impacts has hit the world is unprecedented, especially because the different modes of transport (airlines, railways, maritime, pipelines, private and public transport systems) have all experienced drastic fall of customers and patronage.
This has resulted negatively in shutting down of operations and in many cases reduction in service delivery levels which has thrown nations and the entire transport systems into the worst case ever experienced by mankind, worse than the similar case of 1918 influenza pandemic caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.
Mr. Obiora also pointed that the transportation sector contribution to Nigeria’s GDP increased to $720.241 million in the third quarter of 2019 from $642.927 million in the second quarter of 2019 and contributed 2.49 percent to nominal GDP in Q1 2019, an increase from 1.85 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2018, higher than 2.05 percent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2018. shutting this sector downfurther will do our economy no good, considering the importance of the sector as the gateway to the economy of nations cannot be overemphasised, especially because transportation is an essential service needed all over the world to move passengers, goods and services with safety and security as its fundamental objective in delivering quality service and also a top priority for the government (the regulators) to ensure everyone working in the sector and using it in Nigeria are safe and secure.
Mr. Obiora Obianodo, reaveal to us the company's Five-step plan being discussed by Management of Young Shall Grow in preparation to resuming road transportation business in Nigeria if federal government lift the restriction order
1. Review applicable government, health authority, and industry guidance
2. Assess hazards in the workplace
3. Develop and implement measures to control hazards
4. Communicate with workers, customers, and visitors
5. Continue to monitor
Other things the MD Young Shall Grow Motors, Obiora Obianodo also mentioned were other things, employers may wish to consider the following:
- Reconfigure the workplace to allow workers to spread out and avoid people coming into close contact
- Adjust scheduling to limit the number of workers working in small spaces and to avoid mass arrivals/departures
- Demarcate standing spots/distancing requirements in elevators, escalators, and common areas
- Purchase additional Personal Protective Equipment
- Build or install physical barriers to prevent close contact
- Discourage or cancel all non-essential activities, social events and in-person meetings
- Remove all communal items that cannot be easily cleaned
- Schedule regular and frequent enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of the workplace
- Require workers to work from home (on a partial or full-time basis) if possible
- Develop protocols for receiving and controlling visitors and customers in the workplace
- Plan for what to do if a person in the workplace is infected by COVID-19
- - Based on the findings of the assessment and the hazard control measures that have been implemented, create a policy for workers to describe and ensure the consistent application of new safety protocols. Provide workers with training on that policy where practicable.
- - Post signage at entrances, exits and other conspicuous places through the workplace to remind workers, customers, and visitors about the hazard control measures in place.
- - Again, consider any special circumstances of which the employer is aware that may trigger further legal obligations. For example, employees with child care or elder care obligations may have difficulty returning to work because schools remain closed and other care services may not be available, in which case the employer may have a duty to accommodate the employee’s circumstances on the basis of family status pursuant to applicable human rights legislation.
The son of the Billionnaire transporter, Young Shall Grow Motors, also mentioned that the existing gaps in our nation’s transportation systems before the coronavirus pandemic has further widened because of the pandemic and so our government needs to begin strategizing towards taking urgent steps to close the wide gap created, because of the need of steady supply of food, medical supplies, emergency goods with minimal delays or
