Nigeria’s aviation challenges not insurmountable — Keyamo

THE challenges before us and the industry are not insurmountable. We need to come together to dissect the challenges one after the other and agree on the steps to take to reach and achieve our goals.”

This was the position of the Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, while commenting on the need for key players in the sector to use the coming annual conference organised by the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) to dissect the seeming challenges and proffer solutions to disturbing trends confronting it.

The minister, who confirmed his participation alongside other industry stakeholders, affirmed that the leading aviation industry gathering will afford him the opportunity to exchange ideas with operators, business owners and others on how the country’s aviation sector can survive amidst the prevailing macro-economic environment.

Keyamo said: “I urge stakeholders to come with open and progressive minds and let us take a good look at the sector which we all know has great potential to boost the GDP of our dear country and open doors of employment opportunities for our teaming population of unemployed professionals.”

The event, the 28th edition of the LAAC annual conference, to hold on July 26, will see the minister lead chief executive officers of government agencies, airlines operators and other stakeholders at the brainstorming sessions taking place at the Providence Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Keyamo, according to the Secretary, Planning Committee for the event, Mr Albinus Chinedu, will be the special guest of honour while the Chief Executive Officer of CITA Group, Dr Thomas Ogungbangbe, will chair the proceedings.

Stakeholders have described the theme of the conference, ‘Aviation Survivability Amidst A Challenging Macro-Economic Environment,’ as timely against the background of the challenging state of Nigeria’s economy which amplified the already existing constraints to growth and development of Nigeria’s aviation.

These constraints include poor access to forex, weakening currency, high fuel costs, maintenance costs, poor airports infrastructure, regulatory constraints, growing manpower demands, technology upgrade, passenger comfort, among other issues that require urgent attention.

The Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Umar Farouk, will deliver the keynote speech while a former Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, Captain Samuel Caulcrick and the Second Vice President, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr Alex Nwuba, will present papers on topical issues.

At the conference, a panel session is expected to be moderated by a former Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Hamisu Yadudu with the acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku and Chairman, Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr Wale Babalakin, being the discussants.

The planning committee said: “This year’s edition of the conference is very attractive to captains of industries because of the aptness of the issues to be discussed. With the volume of enquiries we have received and the quality of speakers, we have no doubt that the conference will produce a progressive direction for Nigeria’s aviation industry.”

LAAC is Nigeria’s premier aviation media umbrella body that ensures effective media coverage and practice in the aviation industry.

The annual conference has, over the years, made invaluable impact on Nigeria’s aviation sector by throwing up policy, management and operational issues for public discussion, resulting in significant evidential changes in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

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