Nigeria at 62: What aviation stakeholders are saying

Fri, Sep 30, 2022
By editor
8 MIN READ

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AS the nation turns 62 on Oct. 1, stakeholders are expressing their views on the state of the aviation sector and how it can be given a lift.

The nation’s bid to see a national carrier return to the skies, long after the former one went under due to poor management, among other areas have attracted attention of many.

Mr Olumide Ohunayo, Publicity Secretary of the Aviation Roundtable (ART), says it is expected that the government will make the national carrier a reality and attract more foreign investment to grow the sector.

He said that the present administration should be able to deliver on the project after eight years of planning.

Ohunayo noted that actualisation of the project was important in shoring up foreign exchange earnings in the country, which was good for the nation’s economy.

As Nigeria marks another anniversary, Ohunayo expresses optimism that it will eventually come to reality.

Speaking on how the Nigerian aviation sector had evolved, Ohunayo said it had transformed over the past decades.

He said it had changed compared to when all the agencies, including Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were under Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA).

 “Then, certification was principally for pilots and engineers before It was extended to other categories of operational staff, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, cabin crew, and all charter personnel of the agencies.

“They are now independent bodies compared to what was being  done under one body in the past, we have seen the growth in these agencies.

“We have seen that they have been able to achieve the category one certification, which has kept us on that level of conscious thinking, seen as taking security seriously,“ Ohunayo said.

According to him, the industry has moved and evolved with airlines willing to go into partnership, which was not done in the past.

Ohunayo, however, emphasised the need to see more foreign investors showing interest in the aviation industry.

Retired Group Capt.John Ojikutu, Secretary of the ART, however, said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had barely eight months to end its work and the reality of actualising the national carrier was shaky.

Ojikutu said: ” Whether the time available is sufficient to do national carrier, airports concessions, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and Aircraft leasing in the midst of turbulent 2023 general election preparation is what I doubt.

” Between 2016 and now, where has there been the financial capacity for us to do the much we have projected in our aviation plans.

“From the national carrier to airports development, reconstruction, refurbishing or concessions, MRO, Aerotropolis, Aircraft Leasing, etc.

“All are too many irons in the fire at the same time. We barely achieved 30 per cent in the last seven years; we have recently added aircraft manufacturing and a second runway for Abuja airport, all falling into a time the national economy is in dire straits.

“Where would the capital for all these come from? From within where other very important social needs like roads, health, education power, etc are calling and begging for our attention?

” From foreign technical investors, that have no confidence in the structure of our development strategies?”

He said that the bottlenecks in the repatriation of funds of foreign airlines, that could have been part of the projects, was a minus for the country in attracting investment.

The expert said that the government, with better strategies, would have gone farther, and things like the MRO and aircraft leasing would have fallen in place without draining as much energy.

The Chairman, League of Aviation and Airport Correspondents (LAAC), Mr Olusegun Koiki, believes there are some major challenges stalling growth in the sector.

He identifies these as policy summersaults, leadership will and the failure to put round pegs in the round holes.

He said that policies change with new governments, and in many cases, business organisations and others start afresh.

“No one will want to invest in an environment without consistent laws or policies. For instance, a government, in 2005, allowed the international wing of the Lagos Airport to be used by an airline to operate local flights.

“By 2007 when another government came, that policy was truncated. The airline relocated its operations to MMA2. The rest is history,” he added.

On leadership, Koiki said before this present administration came on board, most of the Ministers of Aviation lacked aviation background.

He said when the present government came, stakeholders and professionals in the sector craved for the appointment of an aviation professional as a minister.

Koiki said that developments, however, indicate that the issues go beyond being a professional or not.

He said that when a minister came in 2011, she prioritised airport remodeling and navigational equipment upgrade.

According to him, everyone could see what she did, yet she did not have aviation knowledge.

“Another came in 2015, reeled out six points agenda; barely seven years later, we are still struggling with one of the six, yet he’s supposed to be an aviation professional,” he said.

Koiki said this showed that what was most important was the zeal to deliver.

The journalist, however, noted that the aviation industry had come a long way from 1925 when the first aircraft landed at Kano Airport.

He said from just one airfield and aerodrome in 1925, Nigeria today had more than 60 airports and airstrips.

” As at 1960, 62 years ago when the country gained independence, the country had a national carrier in Nigeria Airways, which was able to train technical personnel like pilots, engineers, marshallers and others for the country.

“However, bad government policies and corruption in the system led to the liquidation of that flying eagle.

” Today, we are battling to set up a national carrier after 10 failed attempts. We have grown, but our growth has been stunted. One just hopes that we will one day fulfill our potential.

“Numerous countries that we were on the same pedestal as at 1960 have left us behind.

” The ‘No Country is Left Behind’ initiative of ICAO seems not to be working for us,” Koiki said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Sept. 23, had announced another major milestone in its desire to see the new national carrier take to the skies.

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, during a media briefing in Abuja, announced the selection of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Consortium as preferred bidder for Nigeria Air.

According to him, ET scored 89 per cent out of 100 as regards the technical bid and 15 out 20 as regards financial bid.

Sirika explained that the Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, governed by Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission(ICRC) regarding the Nigeria Air had been completed.

“After a careful, detailed and ICRC governed selection process, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Consortium has been selected as preferred bidder, offering an owner consortium of 3 Nigerian investors.

“The Nigerian investors are MRS, SAHCO and the Nigerian Sovereign Fund (46%), FGN owning 5% and ET 49%. The consortium has been subject to a due diligence process.

“The contract will be negotiated between consortium and FGN leading to a Full Business Case (FBC) which will be expected to be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). We expect this process to take 6-8 weeks.”

The minister said the national carrier would be launched with three Boeing 737-800 in a configuration very suitable for the Nigerian market.

According to him, Nigeria Air will be launched with a shuttle service between Abuja and Lagos to establish a new comfortable, reliable and affordable travel between the two major Nigerian Airports.

Sirika added that other domestic destinations would follow thereafter.

“The first aircraft is ready to arrive in Abuja for the further work and NCAA inspection, demo flights and audit as part of the AOC requirements.

 “In time, two others will arrive to complete the required three aircraft for a new AOC holder. The interim executive team has prepared, with the support of FAAN.

 “The team has arranged for Terminal C at the Abuja Airport and finalised a contract with MMA 2 terminal in Lagos, for the operation of an initial shuttle between Lagos and Abuja,” he said.

He noted that the Operations Control Centre (OCC) at the Abuja Airport would act as Headquarters of the airline.

Many cannot wait to see the new airline take to the skies and are hopeful that before the nation hits 63, they can board the national carrier to various destinations.(NAN)

A.I

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