Four days ago, year 2023 became part of history, thus heralding in year 2024 with the high hope for a year full of better experience in all ramifications.
Majority of Nigerians were so eager to bid farewell to the outgone year for so many reasons, particularly because of the luggage of unpalatable experiences and other unimaginable hardships the year inflicted on many Nigerians and even businesses.
For every investor at different sectors of the country’s economy, year 2023 was a year that must not be allowed to rear its head again, as it remained a tough year full of uneasiness.
While the sufferings reigned, no sector of the economy was exempted, except that the uneasiness was even more prevailing in one or two sectors for obvious facts.
As sensitive and unique as the aviation sector is, not only to the economy but equally to the movements of humans and cargoes to other parts of the world, the sector topped the stormy ladder in the past year.
Throughout the 12 months that made up 2023, it was a case of one week, one trouble, in view of the government policies that enmeshed the sector for the major part of the year under review.
Amongst the negative challenges that dragged back the sector were the spillover effect of the decision by the immediate past minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, to relocate the headquarters of the aviation agencies from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Abuja.
The minister’s plans to demolish the Lagos head offices of the agencies and relocate the workers from Lagos to Abuja airport without alternative accommodation and other benefits despite the huge funds the Lagos airport generates to the coffers of the government created tension in the sector.
The consequences of the policy almost set the sector on fire following the sharp reactions that greeted it from the unions and workers.
The planned concession of the four international airports which happened to be the most viable of the country’s airports by the past government also created drama, with key players querying the lack of transparency of the policy.
The year also witnessed disruptions of business activities by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress who turned the sector to a battleground for settling political scores and non-aviation related matters. The abuse became so regular that airlines suffered unquantified economic losses with many domestic operations disrupted.
The poor performance of Nigeria at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety audit was a major setback to the sector. At the end of the audit, Nigeria scored 70 percent as against the 75 percent acceptable global benchmark.
The poor outing was traced to lack of cooperation amongst the chief executives of the agencies.
Top of the low sides of the stormy year was the packaging of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, which ended up being the worst business deal. The national carrier, which took the past government eight years to packages ended up being a failed project despite the huge public funds sunk into it.
Other sour experiences recorded in the year included the trapped funds of the foreign airline’s amounting to $792 million. Apart from Nigeria becoming the highest debtor to the airlines globally, the government with the threats by many of the airline’s to pull out, left the issue unresolved.
Within the year, international hostility towards Nigeria continued as witnessed in the refusal of the entry of 177 Nigerian passengers onboard an Air Peace airline aircraft to Saudi Arabia by the country’s authorities over flimsy excuses and the failure of the Federal Government to address the issue.
The few positive activities the sector witnessed which came towards the end of the year with the advent of the present government was the shutdown of the hitherto dilapidated terminal at the international wing of the Lagos airport for repairs and subsequent relocation of foreign flights to the new terminal at the airport for better travel experience.
The designation of more domestic airlines like United Nigeria Airline on international routes, commencement of regional flights by Ibom Air, and the acquisition of modern aircraft by some of the domestic airlines are some of the positive feats recorded in the year under review.
While the year would have witnessed better experience under the present government, the inability to achieve this may have been hindered by the inherited barrage of bad policies foisted on the sector by the immediate minister, which overwhelmed it. It is however hoped that the new year will usher in a better deal for aviation, so far the government learns from the mistake of the past.
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