The Federal Government has been urged to prioritise access to COVID-19 vaccination for Nigerian seafarers and dockworkers as a way of curbing the spread of the pandemic.
The spokesman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, Bolaji Akinola, made the call in a statement in Lagos weekend.
He said seafarers and port workers had been designated as essential workers by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
He said priority vaccination for these category of maritime workers will ensure sustenance of the logistics chain.
“Seafarers and dockworkers are under-recognised, under-publicised and unsung economic heroes despite their significant contribution to keeping our nation afloat during the economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is therefore imperative to ensure continuity of the maritime workforce through the continuous provision of protective health supplies, rapid testing supplies and priority access to vaccination.
“Ensuring priority access to COVID-19 vaccines to these critical maritime workers is vital to keeping the supply chain active. If our seafarers and port workers are unprotected, the supply chain will become vulnerable,” Akinola said.
He said contrary to insinuations in certain quarters, Nigeria had abundant logistics capacity to transport and store the COVID-19 vaccines at the required temperature.
