Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed that the State is currently seeking the Presidential Tasks Force on COVID-19’s approval to have flights from Lagos-Abuja resume.
Sanwo-Olu made this known during a webinar hosted by FSDH Merchant Bank on Friday as the panelist. The webinar, titled, ‘A global pandemic: local realities and peculiarities – a view from the frontlines’, was anchored by the Chairman, FSDH Holding Company, Mr Hakeem Belo-Osagie, the bank’s Managing Director, Mrs Hamda Ambah and many others.
According to the Governor, the aviation industry, as well as the entertainment, hospitality and transportation sectors have been affected significantly by the coronavirus pandemic and this is causing an increasing impact on the state’s economy. He added that he spoke with a major player in the Aviation sector and is trying to get the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to see if Lagos–Abuja flights can resume first before moving on to sorting the other sectors Read also: Sanwo-Olu Appoints Joke Silva As Chairman Of COVID-19 Tourism Committee
“In terms of direct economy, I know that the entertainment industry has been affected badly. I know the hospitality industry has been affected greatly, especially as people could not go out. It affected those sectors badly. Transportation business and the aviation sector have been affected significantly and these are large employers of labour. We all know that Nollywood employs many people, so we are thinking through how to reset these economies very quickly but in a very gradual manner.. So, the aviation industry has been badly hit and just this (Friday) morning I spoke with a major player in that industry and we are trying to get the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to see whether we are going to resume Lagos–Abuja flights before we get to other sectors. There has to be some gradual process in lifting the lockdown. We will continue to have engagements with all of the players down the value chain. At the right time when we see that the t’s have been crossed and the i’s have been dotted, we will do that and you can hold us to that“, he said.Photos Credit: Getty
Photos Credit: Getty
