Leadership (Abuja)
Capt Daniel Omale
19 September 2008
opinion
The creation of the aviation ministry last week is a big sign that hope is valid in all facets of human endeavour. It was a bit strange that aviation was merged with the Ministry of Transport that included roads and marine. Yes, all transportations involve movement of people, goods and services but there has been a culture clash between aviation and other forms of transportation; therefore, the merger was not just wrong, but eliminates every necessary process for aviation development in Nigeria.
By and large, we are very grateful that, finally, the ministry has been created. The hope of having a more organised, well supervised and healthy aviation sector is now being rekindled. However, it requires genuine and resourceful persons to properly manage it along with the minister. Also, for the ministry to function effectively, there must be continuity of leadership. Hitherto, agencies under the Ministry of Transport found it very hard to harmonise their programmes efficiently since there were dual posts of authority. Those days are now gone, but it does not mean that the system is devoid of structural failures that need urgent attention. Yes, the new ministry has been created for easy access to the problems of the industry and to also alleviate excessive bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Core areas that need serious attention are:
(1) Although, we can boastfully say that commercial aviation safety has improved tremendously in the past two years, the process of safety initiatives continues throughout the lifespan of commercial aviation. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) must be supported with the necessary tools to promulgate, enforce and monitor safety rules and regulations. Personnel training for the use of technology should be enhanced for data collection and evaluation.
(2) Air Traffic Management (ATM): This is the core of commercial aviation everywhere and Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. Safety programmes can only function properly if air traffic management is efficient. To this effect, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) occupies the most important position in aviation safety in this country. The organisation deserves the most profound attention in terms of funding to acquire equipment so as to support its goals. Obsolete communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) equipment must be replaced immediately to enhance qualitative operations and ease off the pressure on our air traffic controllers. Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which is now envisaged to be implemented in two years, should be given utmost priority. Reduced Vertical Separation Minima or Minimum (RVSM) will be implemented in the whole of Africa by next week, September 25. How can Kano Flight Information Region (FIR) effectively monitor all the aircraft within 29,000 feet and 41,000 feet with the current obsolete communications equipment in our towers?
(3) Training: While the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, has resumed active ab initio training of commercial pilots, aircraft type and recurrent courses are largely done abroad. It is estimated that conversion and recurrent trainings on aircraft type gulp approximately N1.5 billion annually. With well-equipped training facilities in this country, our airlines would be able to minimise costs and increase profits. Also, this nation can create more jobs by utilising experienced and retired aviation professionals who, by all accounts, would transfer knowledge to the younger generation of pilots and engineers. Nigeria can also become a training hub for the West African sub-region. But analysis alone cannot bring the changes necessary to move this project forward. Action can. Constructive engagement is very important to move the nation forward, and it requires absolute commitment on the part of the new ministry.
(4)Aircraft maintenance facility: Airlines in Nigeria spend over N2 billion annually on maintenance repairs and overhaul (MRO) by outsourcing their routine and schedule maintenance checks to foreign approved maintenance organisations (AMO). Of late, Ethiopia has become the maintenance hub for our domestic airlines. But why not? Ethiopian airlines has over 700 qualified aircraft engineers and technicians. This is a far cry from what is obtained in this country. A giant nation like Nigeria with a vibrant aviation industry cannot boast of a single standard maintenance facility to cater for the airlines operating within its air space. This, of course, is one area that public-private partnership (PPP) would fare very well, but it requires government initiatives to propel its establishment. For commercial aviation to thrive well in Nigeria, there must be conscious and consistent effort on the part of our government to bring home, at least, 75% of all aircraft maintenance requirements. Aircraft maintenance and engineering are the pivot of aviation development in any country and we cannot afford to ignore this developmental necessity.
(5) Public-Private Partnership (PPP): The only way to develop our airports if we are very serious about moving this industry further from its present position is PPP, but concession must be transparent in order to avoid the hitches being experienced by the first concessionaire, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, the operator and manager of MMA2. The MMA2 concept is necessary throughout the country, if we can ask the public to bid for such projects in an open and honest manner, just like what the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) did during the bidding for GSM licences. The whole nation saw the transparency, embraced it and; so far, there have been no intrigues coming from any quarters. We need the same open process to alleviate discontentment in the aviation industry. To build a terminal like MMA2 requires huge investments. That, no doubt, demands adequate patronage for the operator to recoup its investments, but this cannot be done in secrecy and does not require infighting with the stakeholders to promote a sensible business of this kind. Other airports like Kano, Maiduguri, Yola and Port Harcourt (just to name a few) should be developed through PPP or we will never attain our dream of building world-class airports and terminals. The ministry must make its intention or stand on this issue visible to the public to avoid factional support for development. It is unfortunate that despite government-established committees (at least three) on the issue of concession, especially our airports, there is very little response or embracement from all the stakeholders who are suspicious of the movement to practical improvement of the industry, but are dogmatic on leaning on government. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should be transformed into a competitive venture to be able to compete with other concessionaires in the industry. It must be run as a profitable business without government interference. The mere fact that FAAN cannot authoritatively ground an airline that is in default of payment because a superpower from Abuja will intervene and ask FAAN to withdraw the grounding order shows how government's overbearing weight has paralysed FAAN as an organisation and this has prevented the organisation from efficient and effective performance. FAAN should not be allowed to end up like Nigerian Airways because of the influence of big men in Abuja.
The future of this great industry lies in the hands of those appointed to manage the aviation system in this country. We are far from engaging in research and development in this sector because intrigues have played so much on our psyche towards easy ways of making money through the system without corresponding sacrifice to make it work.
Once again, it is great to hear that the aviation ministry has been created, but it requires honesty, hard work and dedication to get the system functioning properly. As humans, greed and impatience will naturally come to play, but dominance of evil over good will last just for a while.
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