THE Managing Director of Avialog Company Limited, Dr Richard Aisubeogun has described the role transport plays in liberalisation and fostering of inclusive growth across Africa as pivotal.
Highlighting the theme, “Liberalisation of the African Skies: The Way Forward,” at an aviation conference, Aisubeogun underscored the importance of concerted efforts in removing barriers and promoting competition within the continent’s aviation sector.
With Africa’s population surpassing 1.46 billion across 54 diverse nations, Aisubeogun emphasised the potential for intra-continental air travel growth.
Lamenting the hindrances posed by sluggish liberalisation efforts and Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs), which he said impedes intra-African connectivity, the air transport expert identified high operating costs, restrictive visa policies, and disparities in liberalization measures as significant challenges to African air travel.
Addressing these obstacles, he stressed the imperative of fostering sustainable growth and ensuring widespread accessibility to air travel across the continent even as he emphasises the crucial role of enhanced air connectivity in driving economic activities, trade, tourism, and investment within Africa and beyond.
Speaking on the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) implementation, though he acknowledged progress yet highlighted how wavering compliance among African states is hindering the realisation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and its associated benefits.
He described the Africa Continental Trade Area Agreement as one of the greatest initiatives that ever came out of the Africa Union to promote economic growth, socio-economic growth, and regional growth.
“If you ask me what the AFCTA after is the AU desired for the continent of Africa and its regional economies is the elimination if not a total reduction of tariff, I am talking of trade tariff and not trade tariff barriers among the 54 African countries and this has been agreed by member nations to provide basic, a single market for goods and services across the continent and this is expected to be facilitated by the free movement of persons with little or no barriers to depend on the economic integration and prosperity of the continent.”
Reiterating that Africa should be seen as a single market with free movement of persons and businesses with free movement of goods and services across the continent, Aisubeogun noted in that way that you paved the way for the acceleration of the establishment of the Customs union.
He called for one passport for Africa, saying: “ I am an ECOWAS citizen, I should have an ECOWAS card and I should be able to go all the way from Nigeria to Cape Verde in the South Atlantic Ocean after Senegal. I should be able to come all the way down if you have common African travel cards.”
“I keep saying that in all the interviews I have granted and in my presentations in the last two years. We need to have citizens’ travel cards that enable us to go to South Africa, Banjul, Nairobi, Cairo without any limitations for legitimate reasons to do business that will engender economic growth for Africa and its citizens.”
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