From The Tribune

Fresh facts have emerged that the Ebola virus disease is affecting several sectors of the Nigerian economy, as the nation risks losing over $3.5 billion (N542.5 billion) to the epidemic by December, if nothing is done to contain the spread.

Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr Bismarck Rewane, who stated this in the firm’s latest report, said the fear of the disease had affected economic activities significantly.

This was even as experts in the maritime sector raised concern that containers volume had dropped slowly, as ships reduced to 16 this month from 26 in July, indicating 38.4 per cent drop.

The report said the sectors that would be impacted the most in Nigeria are aviation, hospitality and tourism, trade, medical and agriculture.

The report, which analysed the contributions of the sectors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), noted that Nigeria might lose about $2 billion in the first quarter of the outbreak and about $3.5 billion in the second quarter, although the chance of the outbreak going into a second quarter is very slim.

Read more at The Tribune