For many years, the issue of who becomes the aviation minister has always been a knotty debate in Nigeria, considering the sensitive nature of that portfolio. The arguments, however have been focused on the choice of either a professional or a non-professional minister to oversee the aviation industry.
To some Nigerians, the minister of aviation should not necessarily be an aviation professional, but a business minded person in form of an entrepreneur to drive the process. A minister of aviation as suggested by those who belong to this school of thought must be a person that can function like an entrepreneur who has business sense to transform the airports and make them sources of generating wealth.
On the other hand, some aviation stakeholders especially the aviation labour unions, strongly believe that any person who is going to be charged with the affairs of aviation ministry should not only be a professional, but a core aviator who has been part of the system for some time.
This demand was the first thing aviation stakeholders made from President Muhammadu Buhari when he assumed office in May three years ago. Barely two weeks after the President assumed office, aviation unions had started clamouring that a professional in the industry should be made the next Minister of Aviation.
The unions were not alone. Other aviation stakeholders, consisting of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Aviation Round Table (ART) and professional unions in the aviation industry equally called on President Buhari, to, as a matter of urgency, appoint a professional with technical background and interest of the sector as minister of aviation.
For instance, an industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe during the time of the hot debate was quoted as saying that for the aviation to develop and grow as a viable economic entity, it is necessary that the Minister of Aviation should be an aviation professional.
Aligbe noted that the sector needed a person that can function like an entrepreneur who has business sense to transform the airports and make them sources of generating wealth, adding that the places where professionals are needed are the aviation agencies.
“I totally agree that professionals should head the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the other agencies. But a Minister of Aviation is a person that should know how to grow the non-aeronautical revenue of the airports, somebody that will bring business into the airports so that the sector can contribute to the nation’s GDP. In some countries, non-aeronautical revenue generated by their airports is about 70 per cent compared to aeronautical revenue,” Aligbe advised.
Therefore, in his own wisdom, Buhari appointed Senator Hadi Sirika as the Minister of State for Aviation who assumed office on November 11, 2015. Sirika, a former pilot, former General Manager Katsina State Transport Authority, former Member House of Representative, and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was given the Herculean task.
Moments after President Buhari announced Sirika as Minister of State to oversee the aviation sector, stakeholders described the appointment as a step in the right direction.
Expectedly, since the minister took the mantle of office, the industry has not remained the same. For the past three years, there have been positive changes in the sector. Virtually all the agencies, particularly Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), have felt the impact of having a professional as the driver of the system.
NAMA is one agency that has directly benefited from the minister’s wealth of experience and shrewdness in aviation business and this has shown in the level of development at the agency. Perhaps, due to the technical nature of the agency, it is on record and it has been widely reported that much of Sirika’s professional acumen has shown on the noticeable progresses taking place at NAMA.
First was the minister’s clear understanding that NAMA desired a capable management. He therefore, bridged that management gap which has been a major challenge ever before he was appointed as minister by the present administration. That understanding gave birth to the appointment of Captain Fola Akinkuotua who has been an operator, regulator and now a service provider.
With Akinkuotu’s wealth of knowledge in the industry, coupled with support from the ministry, NAMA has been able to move to the next level.
The first noticeable changes are that the issue of non-provision of acceptable condition of service; lack of training and retraining of staff; lopsided promotion and appointments; unqualified personnel being appointed to technical and sensitive positions across all the parastatals have become a thing of the past in NAMA.
Before Sirika came on board, the Aeronautical Information Systems (AIS) automation project which started since 2009 has been going on but at snails speed. In recent times and through the passion Sirika has for the sector, the project has picked up and the job has progressed continuously.
Confirming that the project is on course, a staff of NAMA, Comrade James Olalekan informed that although the project has been delayed, people should understand that the project is of two parts which include the hardware equipment and the software equipment.
Olalekan declared, “Presently, I know that the hardware equipment are being handled by the engineers and the installations are going on. With what I know in the past, they are focusing first on 11 stations as the pilot stage. After that, they will now focus on another stage. Hardware equipment installation is still ongoing, until when that is completed, the indoor equipment cannot be installed.
“In our headquarters here, we have some of the equipment that have been installed about two years ago. Until when these two are completed, then we will now commence on the personnel that will operate the equipment. Because there are three aspects of any project and that is the hardware equipment, the indoor equipment and the personnel. Until when the hardware equipment is completed, then the indoor would be installed and linked to the hardware equipment. The personnel which is the third aspect would then be trained to handle these machines effectively and correctly.”
According to Olalekan, if the government is able to succeed in the project, it will not only boost NAMA’s work but will equally enhance the image of Nigeria in the aviation industry under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) project.
Also worthy of note is that the aviation ministry under Sirika’s watch has been very supportive in terms of facility and equipment with NAMA been able to impact positively to its workers and also its services to airlines. Despite several challenges the agency faced in the past year, the agency has been able to record remarkable achievements and significant progress in certain critical areas such as the replacement of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) in two strategic airports in the country, procurement of long range radios, increase in staff trainings, improvement in staff welfare amongst others.
Attesting to NAMA’s giant stride, Sirika while acknowledging the efforts and improvement NAMA is making had personally applauded the agency for “diligence and astuteness” in the discharge of its duties.
In a letter signed by the Assistant Director of Air Transport, Richard Pheelangwah on behalf of the Minister, Sirika had recently advised the agency to “keep up” the good job it is doing in ensuring safety of air travel in the country.
With the progress NAMA has made within this few years, it is right to say that Sirika’s clear understanding of the aviation industry has helped, not only NAMA but other sister agencies in the industry.
and then