Social and economic wellbeing of seafarers across coastal Nigeria amidst Corona virus disease

Famous Ozabor; Sunday Ighovie Efe; Meelubari Barinua Tsaro Kpang; Adekunle Obisesan

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18275

Social and economic wellbeing of seafarers across coastal Nigeria amidst Corona virus disease

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 17;9(8):e18275. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18275. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Famous Ozabor¹, Sunday Ighovie Efe², Meelubari Barinua Tsaro Kpang³, Adekunle Obisesan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Management, Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai, Asaba, Nigeria.
² Department of Geography and Regional Planning, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.
³ University of Portharcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Abstract

One of the industries hit hard by the Corona Virus is the shipping industry. This is because there was serious paucity in the movement of people and goods. This also affected not only the social but also the economic well-being of seafarers. Therefore, this study assessed the social and economic well-being of seafarers across coastal Nigeria, amidst COVID. A cross-sectional research design was deployed, and data was generated through questionnaire administration. Analysis was done using Mann Kendal correlation and K-Wallis tests. Findings indicated COVID-19-induced social challenges included fatigue; and sleeping disorders. Mann Kendal correlation analysis indicated a relationship between COVID-19 and social challenges. Among COVID-19-induced economic challenges were unemployment, sacking, and salary slash. The Kendal relationship between COVID-19 and economic challenges was significant, implying, social challenges encountered by seafarers were related to COVID-19. K-Wallis test outcome for the spatial difference in economic challenges encountered by seafarers was significant. Implying a significant difference in the economic challenges posed by COVID-19 on seafarers in the study area. Based on the findings herein, social engagement programs, and poverty alleviation schemes are among the recommendations advanced for seafarers.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coastal-Nigeria; Contagious-diseases; Seafarers; Socioeconomic-challenges.