Chris Ochayi
18 November 2008
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring that air transport in the country is a safe venture for operators and the flying public, noting that a safe and secure aviation sector is essential for the future development of Nigeria.
Transportation Minster, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke who stated this in Abuja at the practical workshop on aviation and security, said aviation safety is one of the Federal Government's highest priorities.
She noted that, "there can be no doubt that a safe and secure aviation sector, that engenders the trust and confidence of the travelling public is an essential prerequisite for our nation's future development."
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Hajia Almuna Lawal, represented Allison-Madueke.
Noting that Nigeria has witnessed appreciable progress in the sector within the last three years, she pointed out that the Civil aviation Act of 2006 which established the Nigeria civil Aviation authority (NCAA) as an autonomous regulatory body has resulted in the safe, secure and profitable airlines that operate in Nigeria today.
The government, she said is supporting NCAA's drive to recruit highly experienced and qualified safety inspectors, and giving them the training and the tools they need to do their jobs".
"The domestication of the Cape Town Convention has given the banks the comfort they need to lend to airlines for the purchase of new aircraft. We now have new Boeing, Embraers and Bombardier aircraft flying all over the country", she said.
"The airports and our air traffic services are also getting a boost. There are new runways at Lagos and Port Harcourt, and a new domestic terminal at Lagos built under PPP (Public Private Partnership)".
She said, "Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos all have benefited from new control tower equipment and NIMET (Nigerian Meteorological Agency) has new weather forecasting facilities," Alison-Madueke said.
The Minister regretted that the aviation sector is still bedevilled by so many challenges like shortage of skilled manpower, which are in demand all over the world.
Madueke who noted that the government is doing all in its power to upgrade the capacity of the Nigerian college of Aviation technology (NCAT) Zaria, further stressed the need to attract young persons especially young women to aviation related vocations.
She said, "we must also improve the standard of our radio communications and navigation facilities. Many of our runways still need rehabilitation and we have old terminal buildings in need of refurbishment or replacement.
"Much of our infrastructure is struggling to cope with the demands of a prospering industry."
On the air traffic services side, we need to get our TRACON radar system completed and functioning".
She said while government would continue to play its part, the opportunities presented the private sector offers a means of achieving the infrastructure improvements needed, adding, "through Public Private partnership agreements we can do this without diverting public funds from some of the other national imperatives like poverty alleviation, education and healthcare".
The government according to her "will continue to encourage the Public Private Partnership model for aviation infrastructure development. We welcome and encourage competition, and the benefits that a market driven environment can deliver."
"The current Global Financial crisis carries some lessons for us here though, and we must be prudent to not allow government monopolies to be replaced with private monopolies", she said.
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