The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace development Mr Festus Keyamo has called on the Nigerian private sector to deepen their collaboration with the Ministry for the growth of the Nigerian Aviation Industry.
He made the call in a goodwill message at the webinar session organized by the Olisa Agbakoba Legal with the theme, ‘Repositioning the Aviation sector for revenue generation and Growth: Role of legislation’.
He stressed the present government’s commitment to initiatives and policy inputs that will stimulate investment across the Aviation value chain.
With 25 airports, 28 domestic airlines, 13 designated cargo airports, 90 Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASAs and 25 foreign airlines operating into the country, it is the belief of key stakeholders that the Nigeria Aviation industry has the capacity for growth and development and off course compete in terms of revenue generation with the oil sector.
Unfortunately, over the years this has not been the case due to a major impediment as identified by stakeholders to be legislation.
At the webinar organized stakeholders harped on a robust legislation to bring about an enabling environment, facilitate Public Private Partnerships and attract private sector amongst others to grow the sector.
Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Kabir Mohammed represented by the Director, Commercial and Business Development, Mr. Femi Pearse emphasized that, such legislation when in place can also attract taxation and incentives.
“Because of the fact that, aviation sector is capital intensive”.
On the airline side, the Vice President, Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, Mr. Allen Onyema called for a legislative revolution in addressing the problems in the industry.
He listed these to include amongst others, poor airport infrastructure, lopsided BASA’s, forex, multiple designation and lack of aircraft financing.
“But the airlines are being blamed for not creating a hub, you cannot create a hub without adequate airport infrastructure, the minister cannot perform magic if they don’t have the necessary funding to do this, legislation must come in here to arrest that”.
The Director General, Civil Aviation DGCA, Captain Musa Nuhu represented by the Director, Air Transport Regulations, Olaniyi Saruku agreed that a comprehensive legislation was needed to reposition the sector for revenue generation and growth but that the airlines must position themselves to tap into the provision of the legislation as contained in the BASAs and leverage on codeshare with foreign airlines.
“We should try as much as possible to look at the wholistic of all these legislation, if they are properly harnessed, would facilitate the development and growth we desire”.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace development Mr Festus Keyamo noted that, the current administration is not oblivious of the challenges in the industry and that is why it has come out with a 5-point agenda for the growth of the Nigerian Aviation value chain to address these problems.
“The Ministry is looking forward to a new phase of partnership and collaboration, by leveraging the immense opportunities in the sector to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Joint-Venture Partnerships with heads of international economic organizations, presidents of transnational corporations and principals of leading privately-owned enterprises”.
He emphasized that, repositioning the aviation sector for revenue generation and growth is a collective endeavour, requiring a harmonious partnership between the executive, legislature, and the private sector stakeholders.