Controversy trails reasons for the decline

By Godfrey Bivbere

AS water transportation recorded steep decline at -28.33 percent in the second quarter of 2020, Q2’20, there seems to be uncertainty as to the reasons behind the set back.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in its Q2’20 Gross Domestic Product, GDP, report released on Monday, indicated that the sub-sector which grew marginally by 0.08 percent in the first quarter, Q1’20, recorded a drastic crash at -28.33 percent in Q2’20.

The sector had recorded a slight decline of -1.1 percent in the corresponding period in 2019.

The NBS statistics on water transport showed that between 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, the sub-sector witnessed the highest patronage in the fourth quarter of 2019 with a growth of 1.87 per cent.

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This was followed by a 1.19 per cent growth in the third quarter of 2019 and 0.44 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.

There is, however, controversy as to the reason for the Q2’20 massive decline. While a passenger attributed the decline to the spike in water accidents that have claimed the lives of several passengers, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, insisted that the drop occurred during the lock-down, occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic in Nigeria.

NIWA’s position tallies with NBS’ which reported a massive dip in the nation’s GDP to -6.2 percent, the worst record in three decades, attributing it to the impact of lock-down of commercial and social activities following the COVID-19.

Attributing the decline to rising accidents the passenger, Muyiwa Olatunde, who spoke with Vanguard Maritime Report, further noted that, “but for the closure of Third Mainland Bridge, the drop would have continued and worsen in the third quarter and fourth quarter.”

He said he usually takes a boat ride from CMS to Badagry in Lagos daily but he has resorted to bike ride since these accidents occurred, adding that he knows some other persons that have also taken similar decision.

However, NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Sarat Braimah, disagreed with this claim. She said that the period under review (April, May and June, 2020) were the months that the lock down was strict and most people were indoors.

She said that most of the unfortunate accidents took place sometime in July and this month (August) and therefore could not be attributed to the drop in the second quarter.

She also said the number of water transport passengers have continued to increase, especially with the closure of the third mainland bridge.