Minister of Aviation
Following his reappointment into the Ministry of Aviation as the substantive minister, the most formidable aviation think tank in Nigeria, Aviation Round Table (ART) has set agenda for the newly sworn-in Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.
ART which admonished Sirika to hit the ground running and devote no time for rhetoric, argued that the minister has less than four years to years to etch his name in gold in the industry.
Speaking with journalists on Wednesday shortly after Sirika, the former minister of state for aviation was sworn-in as the substantive Minister of Aviation, by President Muhammadu Buhari, President of Aviation Round Table (ART) Dr. Gbenga Olowo noted that the tasks ahead of the new Minister in office within the next four years are arduous.
He therefore insisted that the industry cannot entertain any form of rhetoric from Sirika because he had said so much during his first tenure in office that would prompt stakeholders in the industry to demand actualisation of those promises.
“I do not envy him for the arduous tasks a head because he has said so much in the past four years and expectations are so high. These four years have no room for rhetoric. In fact 2019 is already gone and 2023 is election year. He has barely 24 months to write his name in gold,” Olowo said.
The ART leader who urged the minister to focus on measurable deliverable, suggested among other projects that the Airport concessioning as planned and ensured to deliver two to three airport companies of Nigeria with the task of modern terminal buildings with installed high technologies and functional car parks that will make Lagos, Abuja and Kano formidable West African hub by 2025.
Olowo who argued that if Ghana could achieve similar feat within a period of four years, insisted that there is no reason why it is not achievable in Nigeria
“This is doable; judging from the case study of Ghana within a span of four years,” he insisted.
He also admonished the minister to ensure that the nation has two or three very strong flag carriers along the geo-political economic zones of the country. Saying that the airlines which would be tagged North, East And West airlines which should parade minimum fleet of airworthy aircraft with projected annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent. This, he noted would help the airlines to compete favourably and enjoy the benefits inherent in African Continent Trade Agreement (AFCTA)
Though realizing that the fleets of the three airlines combined would still be lesser than what airlines like emirates parades, he however argued that such move could be achieved through economic policy, cooperation, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions.
ART suggested, “The flag carriers ( along geo political, geo economic zones ) North, East, West Lines: the Nigerian sentiment who should parade minimum airworthy fleet of 25A/C each at a growth rate of 2.5% annually is desirable to compete strongly and achieve benefits latent in African Continent Trade Agreement (AFCTA) The three airlines’ fleet combined will still not equate Emirate fleet and easily achievable through economic policy cooperation, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions.”
The group also suggested that the federal government could use policies through market intervention, to rescue market share for the three airlines through review of the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreements ( BASAs) and reversal of multiple entry to single entry into the country.
“Finally deliberate market intervention to rescue market share for the three players in above will be mandatory through review of all existing Bilateral Air Service Agreements ( BASAs) through periodic schedules for equity and immediate reversal from all multiple entry points in Nigeria to Single entry points. This is the necessary and sufficient condition for a viable and productive aviation sector at Sirika’s second coming,” Olowo said.
