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Chinelo Obogo
The effect of the Corona virus pandemic on air travel has hit Nigeria’s aviation industry hard as Visa on Arrival (VOA) applications dropped to an all time low at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In December 2019, the Nigerian Immigration Service reported that it received over one thousand VoA applications but issuance reduced in January and further declined in February as incoming passengers slated to get visas droppedsignificantly.
Speaking with journalists yesterday, the Comptroller of MMIA Command, Abdullahi Usman, said that VoA applications started declining in January 2020 and worsened in February.
Usman said: “The numbers of our guest coming in has reduced due to the effect of the Coronavirus. For example in December, we had over one thousand applications but in January we had over 400. In February we had about 250, so you can see the difference. We were able to trace it to the corona virus but it does not apply to foreigners alone, even the influx of our citizens has reduced too. Activities at the airports in terms of passenger movement have also reduced. NIS is not a revenue service but it also translates to loss of revenue too.”
On how the service at the airport has fared at the nation’s airport, he said: “We are already lucky because we have port health services among us. The Port Health service sensitises us on what we are expected to do in this kind of situation and from time to time, we receive expert advice from them.”
Also confirming the drop in revenue, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, told Daily Sun that the revenue of airlines all over the world, including Nigeria has been affected as a result of the virus.
“In all of our international and domestic airports, we are doing well in the fight against Corona virus. I just came back from Germany and there were no checks there but I can tell you that in the aircraft to Lagos we were given forms to fill. When I came back they refused to clear me because they insisted that I must write the number of my flat on the form. We are doing a lot better than some other country.
Meanwhile, Facebook announced yesterday that it is rolling out a plan to give $100 billion in aid through loans and advert credits, to small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
“The programme aims to reach up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where we operates. “We’ll share more details as they become available,’’ the social media giant said, adding that it would begin taking applications in the coming weeks.
Report says part of Facebook’s business model is becoming a site that helps smaller businesses connect to customers.
