Thousands of Nigerians dragged into sudden unemployment as Hospitality business weathers COVID-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has devastated the hospitality industry, forcing hotels to take drastic steps to survive. Rooms reservations are at historic lows while cancellations at historic highs, forcing the company to layoff thousands of workers.
Thus lowering the country deeper into its already cavernous "unemployment and hunger" well.
Hotel room occupancy rates for the week of March through April 2020, when compared to the same week in 2019, is nothing to write home about, while Bars and Nightclubs are currently observing compulsory shutdown order in the country.
There has been mass furlough of staff across the hospitality industry, many executives have given up their salaries or taken pay-cuts, lots of hotels especially in the Western and Eastern part of Nigeria have closed temporarily. Others, like CITY GLOBAL HOTELS OWERRI, are staying open with a handful of staff.
It is expected that by the end of April, about half of hotels in the country will shut down temporarily to weather the COVID-19 storm, and half will remain open with a skeleton staff.
A high percentage of hotel employees have already lost their jobs, while many more are likely going to lose theirs by the end of the month.
The Hospitality industry is still ardently waiting to receive the economic stimulus package from Central Bank of Nigeria, as the sector was clearly mentioned in the (ii) of Section 4.0 of the CBN's "GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE N50 BILLION TARGETED CREDIT FACILITY"...the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) as a stimulus package to support households and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is believed that if this invisible enemy continues to operate up until August, the situation will turn sour.
Hotels, Bars, and Nightclubs need more financial support now than ever.
Calculating how much that is needed is as unclear as calculating the exact damage COVID-19 will deal on Nigeria and the world at large if the world's medical sector does not come up with a clear solution.
CITY GLOBAL HOTEL OWERRI, situated along Port Harcourt Road Owerri by Imo Specialist Hospital Junction, while obeying in full compliance; the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) approved health advisory guidelines for businesses, which includes:
- Everyone to wear masks as there is a growing amount of evidence that this considerably reduces transmission.
- A ‘no contact’ rule between staff or staff and guests
- Keeping 1.5m distance between people – this means reducing the capacity at the restaurant.
- Compulsory Washing hands by staff every half hour and provision of running water and soap at City global hotel's reception
- Provision of Alcohol-based hand sanitizers
- Consistent and very regular cleaning of all surfaces
- Compulsory cleaning of all door handles and elevator buttons every one-hour
- Disinfecting all rooms when cleaning
...remains open but with a skeleton staff and still providing most of its services like FREE WI-FI, Power Supply, top-notch security, etc.
Hotels maintaining such standard is a near-impossible feat with the enormous decline in patronage in that sector owing to the travel ban, border closures and LockDown order in Nigeria.
Hopes are high that sooner than later, this scourge of COVID-19 pandemic will be handled and the hospitality sector saved.
Written by Alagbu Leo,
Vibesngists Blog,
www.vibesngists.blogspot.com
Thus lowering the country deeper into its already cavernous "unemployment and hunger" well.
Hotel room occupancy rates for the week of March through April 2020, when compared to the same week in 2019, is nothing to write home about, while Bars and Nightclubs are currently observing compulsory shutdown order in the country.
There has been mass furlough of staff across the hospitality industry, many executives have given up their salaries or taken pay-cuts, lots of hotels especially in the Western and Eastern part of Nigeria have closed temporarily. Others, like CITY GLOBAL HOTELS OWERRI, are staying open with a handful of staff.
It is expected that by the end of April, about half of hotels in the country will shut down temporarily to weather the COVID-19 storm, and half will remain open with a skeleton staff.
A high percentage of hotel employees have already lost their jobs, while many more are likely going to lose theirs by the end of the month.
The Hospitality industry is still ardently waiting to receive the economic stimulus package from Central Bank of Nigeria, as the sector was clearly mentioned in the (ii) of Section 4.0 of the CBN's "GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE N50 BILLION TARGETED CREDIT FACILITY"...the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) as a stimulus package to support households and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is believed that if this invisible enemy continues to operate up until August, the situation will turn sour.
Hotels, Bars, and Nightclubs need more financial support now than ever.
Calculating how much that is needed is as unclear as calculating the exact damage COVID-19 will deal on Nigeria and the world at large if the world's medical sector does not come up with a clear solution.
CITY GLOBAL HOTEL OWERRI, situated along Port Harcourt Road Owerri by Imo Specialist Hospital Junction, while obeying in full compliance; the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) approved health advisory guidelines for businesses, which includes:
- Everyone to wear masks as there is a growing amount of evidence that this considerably reduces transmission.
- A ‘no contact’ rule between staff or staff and guests
- Keeping 1.5m distance between people – this means reducing the capacity at the restaurant.
- Compulsory Washing hands by staff every half hour and provision of running water and soap at City global hotel's reception
- Provision of Alcohol-based hand sanitizers
- Consistent and very regular cleaning of all surfaces
- Compulsory cleaning of all door handles and elevator buttons every one-hour
- Disinfecting all rooms when cleaning
...remains open but with a skeleton staff and still providing most of its services like FREE WI-FI, Power Supply, top-notch security, etc.
Hotels maintaining such standard is a near-impossible feat with the enormous decline in patronage in that sector owing to the travel ban, border closures and LockDown order in Nigeria.
Hopes are high that sooner than later, this scourge of COVID-19 pandemic will be handled and the hospitality sector saved.
Written by Alagbu Leo,
Vibesngists Blog,
www.vibesngists.blogspot.com
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